The Edmonton Oilers did that thing again. You know the thing: Play well, get a lead, lose the plot, scramble back and (often) hold on for a win in regulation or overtime. The Florida Panthers played a physical game, got some aid from the stripes, and emerged victorious in a game the Oilers should have won. Is there anything we can learn from last night?
The Athletic article today is about balance. Edmonton is close. Article is here.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN DECEMBER
- On the road to: VEG (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 0-1-0)
- At home to: CBJ, STL, TBAY (Expected 2-1-0) (Actual 3-0-0)
- On the road to: MIN (Expected 0-1-0) (Actual 1-0-0)
- At home to: VEG, FLA, BOS, SJS, OTT (Expected 4-1-0) (Actual 1-1-0)
- On the road to: LAK, ANA (Expected 1-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- At home to: UTA (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- Overall expected result: 9-4-0, 18 points in 13 games
- December results: 5-2-0
- Oilers in 2024-25: 18-11-2, 38 points in 31 games
In the grand scheme of things, this game should not matter much. The odds of these two teams meeting in the final again is low, and I’m fairly certain Kris Knoblauch would deploy his troops differently in a postseason game. Still, you want your favorite team to pass the test against substantial opponents, and the Oilers two losses this month are a reminder that there is work to do for management, coaches and players.
THE NUMBERS
Stuart Skinner had a tough game, even allowing for several poor decisions and lack of execution by the skaters. I’m of the opinion that this team can win the Stanley Cup with Skinner, but Stan Bowman may have a different opinion. At this point, if the organization made a move to replace Skinner, would you be surprised? I would not. I’m still on Team Skinner, hope the Oilers don’t cost themselves another pile of assets to acquire another goalie, but I can see it happening.
The gap between Nurse-Kulak and Nurse-Stecher was substantial on the evening, and I think it points out the fact Edmonton will need a bigger No. 2 RH defenseman come playoff time. I know some of you are angry about the refs, and I get it that was a badly officiated game. However, there were plenty of defensive miscues on the night.
I believe the team should live with the errors of Bouchard, Ekholm, Nurse and Kulak and consider upgrading the fourth member of the top two pairings. I’m also wondering, just a little, about Ekholm’s ability to play these big minutes during the season then having enough left for the playoffs. No idea if there’s a solution, just pointing it out.
There were some things that Kris Knoblauch would change I’m sure, and Jeff Skinner’s play once again is worth mentioning. He wasn’t the only one, mind, and the GA happened after he had been harpooned, but overall his play in important areas has been lacking. Knoblauch did his best to shelter Skinner’s line, but in 1:22 versus Lundell it was 1-0 Florida goals, 2-0 shots and 3-0 Corsi for the Panthers.
I think the top two lines were pretty solid and loading up worked partly because the Nuge ran a quality second (third?) trio. That’s a good news item from last night, as is Zach Hyman’s return to form and the continued fine play of wingers Kasperi Kapanen and Connor Brown. I’d have a downbeat take on Adam Henrique, but that’s kind of the Skinner bullet point above. I don’t know what to do with Skinner, but I think playing with Henrique is a wobbly solution. I guess I would try him with McDavid, honestly. Why would you buy a Ferrari and use it to haul manure?
Lots of reaction to this tweet, but I have no quarrel with it. The referees are supposed to be neutral and not place their thumbs on the scale of justice in a game. That didn’t happen last night, and even though I do think the Oilers were the chief cause of the loss, it would be insincere for me to criticize Yaremchuk for his take. He’s right. Referees sometimes make the story about referees. I don’t think there’s much in the way of credible pushback on that statement.
The Lowdown hits at noon and we’ll have Daniel Nugent-Bowman from The Athletic help guide us through the aftermath of last night’s game. We’ll also spend a few minutes talking about the Bruins game later in the week and the state of the Oilers at this time. It’s Tuesday, so that means Declanations is “Hi, my name is….” with Declan Krueger and we’ll be joined for portions of the show by Donovan Paulson (a wildly opinionated fellow with interesting takes) as well. I’m at Lowetide on twitter, in the comments section here and on the Sports 1440 text line at 1.833.401.1440 directly. We can be heard at sports1440.ca; iHeartRadio; Radioplayer Canada, we tweet out the show after it’s done and you can catch us on Apple and Spotify.
The odd thing about the Skinner/Arvidsson vs Holloway/Broberg offseason cap calculus is the knowns.
Arvidsson’s injury history was well known. Skinner’s defensive liabilities were common knowledge.
It was almost like Jackson was so enamored with the prospect of signing cheap vet FAs as “proven” scoring wingers for Leon that any consideration of the players’ warts were glossed over.
Yes, scoring goals is the hardest thing to do in this league. But if they are oft injured or leaky on the backcheck, what is the point?
The only argument that makes sense is if Jackson thinks Knoblauch can fix the warts. Possibly he can with Skinner but I don’t how the HC can make Viktor any less brittle?
The interesting thing about the Oilers’ postseason chances this year is the question marks around their top 6 W options (Kane, Skinner, Arvidsson). Wouldn’t surprise me in the least if the lesser cost bets like Podkolzin, Janmark, and Kapanen end up taking the mins from the higher cost question marks.
Nugent Bowman asked coach if he sees every playing Janny at center and coach, with no hesitation said “Absolutely, absolutely I do see him doing that but, when or where, not sure but it is something that we’ve thrown around. There are some other guys we thought about but Janmark is likely the next guy in that position”.
The question was clearly along the lines of who would play 4C if Ryan was not in the lineup (or roster).
If you are wondering why Ryan is on the roster look no further than Faceoffs.
62% on the dot. If he was 45% he would be long gone
Coach says Arvidsson could possibly play on Thursday.
Today was his first real practice (he’s had a couple morning skates) – certainly expecting him to play this week.
Hyman is fine (i.e. no concussion or anything like that) – he’s getting some work done today but is fine.
Nurse and McDavid collided in practice but it sounds like Connor is fine.
Hits for 24/25
Florida 2nd in League with 866
Oilers 32 in League with 396
We don’t need to be the toughest team, but last in the league is a bit soft.
Its true, we have the puck a lot,
And we don’t need to bang heads to win,
but Id still like to see us around 26th with little more muscle available when its needed
My preference is start games playing hockey, and if teams take that road there are the players that like that game and give back as much as the team is getting. This is where Holloway is missed mostly. Not running around, but finishing checks hard and looking for big ones on the goofs
Think about the guys that were more edgy than talented that have been Oilers, and their out sized impacts on some playoff series. More recently Torres, Kassian, Kane for example. It matters. The Bolts beefed up after getting punked in playoffs a few times with fancy teams that were ace in the regular season. I mentioned the Avs gettting Manson
Also more professional cheaters would be nice, that know how to use the dark arts, like Perry
After getting pushed around in the playoffs last season especially by Nashville, the Canucks signed Kiefer Sherwood from the Predators (the effective replacement for Podholzin) and he leads the league in hits with 184.
As a side note, having him play in the top 6 has also paid dividends as he scored a Hat trick last night to set a new high with 11 goals on the season.
BTW. Luke Schenn who I mentioned below, is third in the league with 123 hits.
He should be the Oilers hard target for 2RD.
Luke Schenn a hard target for 2RD? You are clearly joking/trolling.
A 35 year old career 3rd pairing D with significant time in the minors mid-career, who can still only manage 3rd pair on the last place team in the league. He is not even on their top 4 rotation among D for killing penalties. And he might just be the slowest player in the NHL right now. At best, he’d be a 6/7 player on the Oilers right now.
Older, slower and smaller was the MO for adding players this summer. I’m glad to see later on adding a couple of physical guys (Podz & Emberson) happened. But this team was not built to win in the alleys during the season. Come the playoffs they seem to do alright though.
This team desperately needs Kane in the lineup.
Finding 2 RD is the way to Stanley. Candidates are: Ivan Provorov (shots L but can play RD); Rasmus Ristolainen; or Alexandre Carrier.
Any comments?
Or find a 3LD to play with Emberson and play Kulak with Nurse.
Kulak with Nurse looks okay this year but didn’t work out in last years playoffs. Coaches chose Broberg to play on his off side
if Ottawa is out of it i would like Nick Jensen
He is experienced and playing his best hockey at age 34
Provorov – $4.72M – Columbus will want a first round pick
Ristolainen – $5.1M – 2 years left after this one.
Carrier – $3.75M – Nashville top RD on a value contract.
The real question is what the Oilers have to offer for any of these?
That is the question. Any suggestions? Beau Akey?
Don’t think that would move the needle for Philly since they already have a blue chip prospect RD Oliver Bonk playing for the London Knights.
Nashville also unlikely since Carrier is on such a value deal and given their investment in veteran forwards meaning they are not rebuilding.
Provorov’s little brother signed at an Ohio program. He wants to stay in Columbus, we will see
The season the Avs won their Cup, many around here (including me) weren’t so hot on their acquisition of Manson because of analytics. However he turned out to be a big factor in it from things I have read
The Oilers need to improve the D group most agree. I think they also need to be a tougher harder to play against group. I would be looking for that kind of player first. Doesn’t need offense as much as can skate well enough and make a pass, then be a hairy ass like the good old Oiler days. A player forecheckers would rather dump in and change than go into the corners with. Ideally a player that knows how to walk the line with refs and get away with most of it
They need a Gator more than anything. If not, an upgrade in ability and size yes, but I would love to see them get a little more old school Oilers, and have more aggressive players to support the elite ones, especially on D
To me it makes a team with high talent really hard to play against. Most other teams can’t match the skill, and also have to face getting at least as much rough stuff and dirty plays as they give. Talk about being on the back foot. Kane vs fLames Tkachuk was the perfect example. Beat them on the board and in the alley
Luke Schenn would be perfect.
$2.75 million this season and next with Nashville.
6’2″ 225
I haven’t watched or noticed him, but that’s the idea. He’s pretty sheltered in Nashville, might need to go up the ladder if possible. Perfect for Kulak if K is 3rd pair
MacT I believe was saying he thinks they need some cycle breakers. I like Stecher and his mojo, but not being an offensive D is why he hasn’t got past tweener fully, he’s too small for heavy games even if a pretty decent player, and isn’t driving play either
Luke Schenn, who’s playing 15mins a night as the solution to 2RD.
Good grief your dishonesty is a disease.
Would Ben Chiarot make the list?
He had a down year in Detroit, then a good year. Out of favour this year but perhaps expectations are too high. I think he’s available at the deadline, but has 2 more years at 4.75. Shoots left, not optimum.
Big strong defenceman, loads of experience. Played with Kulak before.
How about Romanov? Expiring contract at 2.5 still only 24 years old. Not as big, but big hitter.
I also agree with LT that extra minutes to rotate away from the lack of a second pair D could very much come back to burn us.
Was nice to see both Knoblauch and McDavid speak out about the lack of defensive zone commitment,
and especially McDavid about not having to run up the score every night. Admitting there’s a problem with just outscoring a lack of commitment to the back is a first step to fixing it.
McDavid needs to pick up his scoring and defensive play. #29 is driving the bus right now.
It seems the 5 man is in a bit of a funk. Connor Ek and Bouch not playing as well as they can lately
They took the heat off their goaltender with their defensive zone coverage. If they could have continued that commitment, they win last night’s game, much like they won the previous 5.
the third and fifth goal against were awful terrible goals allowed by Skinner and cannot be blamed on the players…shots that his chest from the blue line or from behind the net on the side boards should not go in or be blamed on the players in any way
So I thought Sutherlands reaction to Nurse, giving him the extra 2 was totally unprofessional. He was clearly enraged. Professional officials need to be able to control their emotions. He carried that grudge for the balance of the game ensuring a poorly officiated contest. Jackson should be going to the NHL to let them know that performance was unacceptable. Oilers still should have been able to hang on and win that game.
I think they honestly unravelled after Skinner was charged in front of his own bench and then the play immediately went the other way for a GA.
Yep 100%!
You can run over anyone on the Oilers, there will be no consequence.
I don’t know if anyone else noticed, the 2nd period ended in our zone… as the players left the ice, Turtle stayed very close to Stu, chirping something all the way to the gate. I wonder if those moments had an impact on Stu’s 3rd period performance.
I’m a believer in Stu, but I personally believe he has a memory that lasts far too long… bad goals are not easily forgotten and possibly neither are chirpy comments; no way to know if its actually true, but its not hard to “go there”.
I doubt it. Its minor. But then the stick to the head and a multitude of minor things start to build…
I saw that, Chucky is always chirping, diving, gouging, turtling, scoring or doing anything to win. Can’t stand him but he is super effective. If Stu did let that bother him which I doubt, better figure that out because the mental is where the performance begins.
I just don’t put that game on Stu though tbo.
I can’t for the life of me accept how Fla gets to have their cake and eat it too: they take runs, that are penalties, and they don’t get called (see charge on Skinner, high stick on the other Skinner), and then they flop all over the place and get the call. It’s mindboggling. I noticed that TB has a very ugly grease to their game too. Is it the division that’s committed to a preoccupation with gaming refereeing?
Expecting players to not react poorly to this kind of double standard is nuts. One would basically be expecting them to either not know the rules, to not care about the outcome, or to accept that its not an even playing field. And we’ve all watched this sport for some time: it’s not a perfectly even-called sport and it’s pretty clear that reputation, gamesmanship, and the right kind of pressure have an impact on referee decisions.
From games 4-7, almost all of Fla’s diving went not called, and the Oilers stormed back. Arguably, this didn’t help the Oilers because they had historically good special teams and would have benefitted from more calls going both ways. But then we have a new problem: the games get more clutch-and-grab and the skill team loses more than they gain from the change.
I believe Maurice spoke about it back in Winnipeg.
One team with 100 infractions vs another team with 10 infractions, the nature of the beast is that the refs will call penalties 3-2.
Could have forgotten Maurice was the coach of the Panthers. Amazon broadcast only gave him 4 features all night.
@Sportsnet
The Jets have signed Kevin He to a three-year, entry-level deal
He becomes the first Chinese-born player to sign a contract in the NHL
Ripping up the OHL with Niagara Ice Dogs.
https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=252859
Is he any good?
23G 43P in 29GP.
Seems to be.
Ok, that’s honestly pretty cool. For once, thanks HH.
Hyman not on ice – no surprise.
Arvy taking Hyman’s spot on the top line (an indication to me he is unlikely to play next game).
Skinner on 4th line and Brown on 3rd line – that would be on merit in my opinion.
Jeff Skinner was bad last night. He had company from pretty much the entire bottom six and Bouch and Ek but he was quite poor.
does anybody think j skinner is tradeable? I understand he has a NMC but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t accept it or the Oilers couldn’t place him on waivers with the understanding Anaheim or SJ takes him and then flips him to a contender with $ retained at the deadline…thoughts? With Kane and Arvidson coming back to me he is the odd man out despite his offensive abilities…he is out of position and loses so many battles. I can’t see him contributing in the playoffs . that cap space could beused on the 2RD and could enable the team to use one extra forward on the roster
You cannot place a player with a NMC on waivers.
To all the people that want to trade Bouchard: do you watch other teams? Good defencemen turn the puck over. It happens because they always have the puck and have to constantly make difficult plays under pressure.
Despite all the hate, Bouchard still has a positive goal share, I.e, the Oilers outscore the opposition when he is on the ice. Further, almost every player on the Oilers have better numbers with Bouchard than without.
Is Bouchard Chris Pronger? No.
Is Bouchard a top 10 RHD D in the league? Yes.
I don’t think the trade Bouchard crowd is on Low tide. Haven’t heard a peep.
Theres been a post here or there and I have explored the idea. I think the question is: how much is the contract?
I see numbers like 9 million or more, for a player that can cost a game at seemingly any point. Ekholm falters and he is exposed. Why aren’t they separating that paring ever? What happens when Ekholm fades and ages? Could Ekholm have been expedited a Canadian visa? Then maybe Bouchard makes 4 Nations otherwise: that’s a major tell.
Bouchard plays major minutes and puts up huge points while playing with the globetrotters. Can you shave some of the production and eliminate the major boneheaded errors? That’s a trade off I would take whether from Bouchard himself…. or someone else that will demand less money.
I would have benched him for a bit after coughing up the puck then taking a penalty in the first act in a big game. Maybe that gets us to the 10 million dollar player? I want the best for him cause it’s best for Edmonton.
I understand this is an unpopular opinion around here. I wouldn’t know first hand as I’m not on social media but this blog gets pretty defensive with arguments that might run parallel to some chatter on Twitter. Shouldn’t mean they are verboten.
The main problem with Bouchard is that the Oilers had a successor to Ekholm in house, and they let him slip away.
Larry Murphy is more than fine if one has somebody to play with him and two other pairs that are defensively reliable, and a team that is defensively reliable.
The Oilers are likely going to be chasing a future D partner for Bouchard forever.
It’s one game folks. After beating two very good teams. Two top six forwards did not play. Bouchard is injured. Take a breath.
Did Barkov play?
I think some refs need an ego check. You just know that some of them think that people are paying to see them make calls.
It’s a combination of bad NHL policy (ie game management), poor training, and utter incompetence.
I’m curious, is there any kind of a mechanism available to players or teams, to initiate a review of officials and/or officiating? There should be.
I agree with that plus some have an ego and will hold a grudge. They are human.
Last night 50% of the forwards played 4th line minutes. Our top 6 are going to be exhausted in the spring ….again (AND Hyman was getting repairs for portion of the game)
Ryan – 7:20 TOI
Brown 12:16 TOI
Kapanen 12;25 TOI
Skinner 11:21 TOI
Perry 10:09 TOI
Podkolvin 10:31 TOI
Same as it ever was.
there is no game today or tomorrow so i think Knoblauch decided to over play his top players with 3 days in between
Leon and Nuge were under 21 minutes. McDavid was at 23. MacKinnon is averaging 23 minutes per game this season. There are 16 forwards who average more than what Leon and Nuge played last night (including Leon who played 30 seconds less than his season average). I don’t think Knoblauch would agree he was over playing his top players by any measure in a winnable game that was close right to the end.
i also think loading up Leon with Mcdavid while we are up 4-2 doesnt make sense..it waters down the other lines…that being said J Skinner lost so many battles it wouldn’t have mattered when he was on the ice it felt like a goal was inevitable
Florida Panther TOI bottom 6:
Nosek 7:23
Greer 7:30
Gadjovich 7:47
Samoskovich 10:29
Boqvist 11:38
Rodriques 12:55
Reinhart, Bennett and Verhaeghe averaged 22 minutes and all played more than any forward on the Oilers except Mcdavid, who played 30 seconds more Reinhart.
I don’t see big issues with Knoblauch’s deployment from a TOI perspective.
Should note, that going in to last night’s game, the staff had indeed faded Ekholm’s minutes.
In the last 10 games (before last night, I haven’t re-checked), Ekholm was 4th in 5 on 5 TOI/G and 3rd in overall TOI/G.
In the last 10 games, both Nurse and Kulak played more at 5 on 5 per game that both Bouch and EKholm.
This gap has been prominent for a increasingly large handful of games.
I think Nurse splitting his time with Kulak and Stecher can be “good enough” for the next while until they make that d-man acquisition but, I fully agree, Stecher can’t be anywhere near 2RD come playoffs and likely can’t be in the healthy top 6.
Whether its a legit 2RD or a high end 3LD, this is where the cap space will need to be spent.
Unfortunately for Stecher he just isnt big enough to handle some teams physical play. Its too bad really because the heart and want is there, dude can play. He can be a decent fill in eventually.
I’m not a “moar bigger guy” but do agree with this and don’t anticipate that Stecher could be an option in the healthy top 6 in the playoffs – that is a 2-month grind.
I wouldn’t be surprised, I’d be shocked.
Stuart Skinner won 14 playoff games last season (Pickard one) – there was wobble and inconsistency but he won 14 playoff games – 7 of them with Jake O. and Sergei B. in the other net.
Skinner has proven to be able get playoffs wins against the elite teams in the NHL behind this core group.
Skinner is $2.6MM this year and next – a MASSIVE value contract.
I don’t know how you move on from that, with this teams, current and future cap structure, and come out ahead.
I can’t see them moving on from Stu unless he truly falls apart.
Bowman is not Holland and I’m sure he’s well aware of the need for budget goaltending. I think Kris needs to find out if Pickard can handle some minutes as Skinner looks tired again and needs another reset. In saying that what’s the purpose of Rodrique he’s I believe 24 and not close to the N.H.L. There should be 1 goalie on the farm that is N.H.L capable and another who looks like he has a N.H.L future we have neither and it pisses me off.
One middling performance and Skinner looks tired?
He had 6 very good performances in a row before last night.
There are only a handful of elite goalies that don’t tend to have at least one off night every 6-7 starts.
As a die-hard Oiler fan I try to take off the rose-colour glasses. Skinner lets way to many goals go through him. He also cheats on side to side movements that why the opposition shoots right from his original position. Anyhow when the Canadian market for goaltenders is at its weakest and Skinner name is laughed at when brought up for the Nations cup you know where the weakest link is. Everyone saw his 1 great performance in game 6 against Dallas they also seen him pulled in back to back playoff appearances. I give credit to Bowman for not being impulsive but unless we win a Cup I believe Skinner is gone.
How do you determine a salary for Bouchard right now? Hero to zero, zero to hero and on and on. I hope the team is seeing what is available out there for him. Trading him is definitely one option that has to be strongly considered.
Wouldn’t want to give him anything over 7.5 at this stage, but that is just my honest opinion. He has given the puck away a fair bit this season already and more shin pads as well. . No clue what his agent will shoot for. 9-10? On a long term. Would they be wise to bridge him again? He is tied for 10th in D scoring. Currently and to me he isn’t in the Makar pay range.
But he did have a scary playoff which is a lot harder brand of hockey and depending on what he does this playoff could possibly set the tone for his contract as well.
As for trading him, I can’t see it any time soon really
Considering his play down the stretch last season and in the playoffs the last two seasons (after starting both seasons similar to this one), the conculsion is likely different come June.
This has to be a troll post. Right?
One would have to think so
I posted this a few weeks ago and was similarly not trolling.
Or, you could answer Clarkenstein’s question: what is the cap hit?
Podz and Kapanen having success with Nuge as a center could/should be something to look in to.
We all know that someone needs to come out of the lineup for Avy and, practically, they will likely want a player off the roster for cap accrual puproses.
It would be great to carry an extra forward then the likes of Jeff Skinner, who has his worst game last night, could take a night off, then Perry for a rest, etc., etc.
The only player right now that I think would be realistic for waivers is Ryan and the lack of a 4C is the only real issue – I don’t really care that much about the right shot faceoffs, I care about the ability to play the position.
If Nuge can center a successful line with those two wingers, well, that is something that could be very beneficial.
Come playoff time I expect we will see.
Leon-McDavid-Hyman
Podz-Nuge-Kapanen
Kane-Henrique-Arvidsson
Janmark-Philp-Brown
I know some have soured on Philp, but he will slide into Ryans role as 4c. A position he has the ability to play. Philp will be fine between Janmark & Brown. Ryan will be the playing coach of the Condors.
Heck they might even try Henrique with Podz & Kapanen and go with Kane & Arvidsson with the Nuge.
There’s only one reason Ryan is on the roster, because he can be relied on in postseason own zone starts. So yeah let’s through that away for supposed offense where Philip is playing first line minutes in Bakersfield with Savoie and not moving the needle.
The only way Ryan isn’t on the postseason roster is if they replace him with a better NHL player for his postseason role.
It has been reported that Edmonton is in search of two players to fill 2RD or 3LD and 4c. So, it would appear they are looking to replace Ryan. However, it would be sensible to fill the void internally if at all possible. Philp should be the next man up.
Philp has been playing second line with Perrault and Grifith the last few games (Pederson with Savoie and Caggiula).
I love the line “Why buy a Ferrari and use it to haul manure?” LOL!
I’m on team Skinner for as long as he is being paid $2.6M. How else do you pay Connor, Leon and Evan? Besides no way you deflect those three shots off Skinner two games in a row.
If your knickers are still in a knot give an extra game to Pickard. He has won 4 of his last 5 starts and has a .916 SV% over the last 30 days.
Stop the defensive miscues and the Oilers win.
Split the glimmer twins 5×5 and balance the workload.
Focus on finding the 2RD.
If others didn’t hear it, Bouch was very hard on himself post game last night. Full accountability.
good, he was horrible. Likely hurt a bit though… He needs a rest.
Agreed. I’m wondering if we let him sit the two of the next three (Bruins on Thursday, then the back to back at the weekend) so he gets a bit of healing time before the Kings game next week.
Sometimes with injuries stiffen up on you a few days after they happen, and boy did he look more than a little off last night.
Sit and who plays? Josh Brown on recall?
He should be he has had 4-5 absolute crappy games this year. Last night was brutal.
Are they able to sign Bouchard now? Sign him for 8 years when he’s down wave the cash in his agents face before Christmas gift buying time is done.
They can sign him at any time.
Of course, I don’t think his agent will advise him to take “less” based on 2-months of performance that don’t match up with his established norms (not to mention that he’s always better in the second half and generational in the playoffs).
This was a measurement game. The score was not important, nor individual mistakes.
The first period and even preceding games show the Oilers are absolutely the most talented team in the league. At least in regard to pure skill.
The Panthers on the other hand have some good puck skills backed up with other types of skill. They are fast, physical and have a forecheck that is absolutely relentless. They take runs, play in the edge, they backcheck, mob the front of their net. They finish every check.
I witnessed the Oilers pull them apart for many shifts in the first. Beautiful passing plays.
Then I seen the Oilers tire, avoid hits, jam out. I seen no response from Oil when the going got tough. Speed dropped off, the Oilers were outworked.
Oil still flashed some skill here and there, they were close and easily could have come out on top.
McDavid was targeted for predatory hits, thrown almost in Panthers bench, thrown to ice, interfered with.
Oilers were outworked and basically bullied out of that game.
They still put up 5 goals, enough to win, good point, but again, should they procure another shooter get that 6th goal, or more compete to win some battles and prevent that 6th goal against? Same question as after game 7.
The biggest learning or confirmation for me, is that the team does not have enough grit to handle the Panthers. The point not to “beat them at their own game” but to give enough support to our side so that the Oilers high skill can do their thing without being mugged or injured.
my opinion is there was a huge amount to learn from that game.
I learned one thing: Get Kane back healthy and hugry.
or get some better luck on some crazy goals, or Bob doesn’t save that Drai chance at the end, OR get one extra save from Stu
I agree the oil need a bit more physicality. It was 6-5 I don’t think they had no response, they could of tied the game a few times on some very good chances.
Just one of those games.
I am likely being a homer but I always feel like the cats can push the line more and when the oil do, they get a stupid penalty called on them.
Chucky should def get the soccer dive called more. Actually I wish that was called more around the league. How was Jeff Skinner fined for diving on a horseshite call and Chucky does it probably most games. The officiating to me has been and is still a joke in the nhl, or actually maybe its just certain officials tbo.
So, if Oilers need to beat them best of seven, what do they need to do?
Cant count on refs, or chalk it up to luck.
Oilers put up 5 but no win. To win the 7 game series Oil will have to add an element to their game.
Their lack of response to anything physical has been ridiculous all year.
idk if you need to be overly physical in the regular season.
Come playoffs, that’s another story.
yup. I don’t know how they fix the shitty officiating though
Need to get tougher and probably a big #3/4 D man that can move it and play some rough hockey as well as Kane back 100% and maybe one more tough big hitting forward. Of course great goaltending. Easy lol.
Agreed, adding physical players will def help, half dirty ones too (i wish perry was younger!) Kane, a tough D, if there is room another forward (Olivier type)… we will see what they can do when prices go haywire.
Right now they are good enough to beat anyone if they stay in script (and they get tending, obvi) but adding a reliable tough D to play against will truly help, easier said than done.
Well they didn’t take advantage of Bob playing shitty. It was a shame Skinner wasn’t on his game.
They scored 5 so yes they did, lol just so happens cats scored 6. lol
Panthers beat up on the Oil a bit in the 3rd. It showed in the final score. They brought out the heavy hockey play. Those are the types of games that the Oilers miss a healthy Kane.
What I’ve learned from fan reaction is that they should make knee-jerk trades after any loss. The same fans tell me that Chiarelli was an idiot.
Tough loss last night. With all the blusters and supposed bad games by many players, the Oilers were in it to the end. 5-0 and 8-2 heading into last night’s game. 5-1 and 7-3 ain’t that bad.
Ek and Bouchard need a rest, and some lesser minutes.
Well, that game pissed me off.
Terrible reffing from start to finish.
The goalie’s job in a game like that is to calm things down – he couldn’t at all. Pickard wins that hockey game.
And last – a bunch of clowns prove they can’t watch hockey properly by thinking Jeff Skinner is the damn problem on a night with a kicked in goal, multiple BS powerplays, a shot off the back, another one that fell over Stu Skinner’s back because he didn’t track it, multiple gross defensive turnovers, and 14 and 2 acting like they’ve never played in the league before. Come on guys…
Skinners best talent is goal scoring, how many goals can Skinner score with zero shots on net?
There was multiple players with bad evenings, Jeff Skinner would be in that bunch. Not dumping on him, but it’s not sin to say he did not contribute to winning.
The Panthers are a frustrating team to play against.
And very lucky I might add.
When they play that heavy hockey on the edge ( like they did in the 3rd). They are a tough team to beat, especially when goalie Bob is hot. That’s why it was extra frustrating last night because he was terrible and the Oilers didn’t take advantage of that because they let in more
Also… am I the only one on planet earth that saw Bobrovsky clearly handle the puck in the trapezoid on a clear?
Do you mean outside the trapezoid?
Yes sorry the illegal one.
lol love this! It definitely wasn’t one player’s fault! Skinner is becoming the whipping boy though because he isn’t the best defensive player and he isn’t scoring like he can.
I’m not sure who your Jeff Skinner comments were meant for, so will push back lightly.
He is a great skill player, but like Joffrey Lupul decades ago, seems to have a real problem with making basic but important plays. Clearing the puck out of the zone is an example.
Love the player, believe he should be playing with McDavid, but Skinner’s play is going to get him off the starting lineup when Arvidsson and Kane return.
jmo.
I don’t love the player, but I agree with the rest of the comment. A team doesn’t get Jeff Skinner to play on the 3rd line. He needs to play with skill so he can outscore his deficiencies.
They need a grittier player than J Skinner. He may simply be a place holder for Evander Kane. Skinner probably finds himself playing on a contender somewhere else.
They are for the folks in the comments section who pop in every game thinking that one lost puck battle means you take the best pure shooter they have and waiver him. There are far too many of those folks. Or they see that goal after he gets gooned and find a way to blame him.
I was a defenceman. Once I have that puck as Bouchard did, it is ALL on me.
Overall I’m very concerned the coach has no idea how to use Skinner or worse doesn’t like the player type. The fact he didn’t immediately wind up on the PP in a shooting position when they were in the toilet says it all.
PP #1 does not have a shooter position. McDavid, Draisaitl, and Nugent-Hopkins are positionless on the powerplay. McDavid does whatever he wants, and Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins adjust. It would be disastrous for one of those three positions to become static.
You cannot have Bouchard and Jeff Skinner in the Fab 5. McDavid will spend too much time defending. On contenders, defense optional and work optional forwards play in the bottom six. Skinner is really not a player for a contender. Hey…but a Kessel-on-the-third-line is likely the only deployment that might work.
“You have to be punched in the mouth and remember what it used to be like to really appreciate where you are” – MCDC
Oilers win streak ends at 5 and you’d think they were in last place with some comments out there. Some folks need to step back off the ledge and take a breath.
Right after two multi-goal wins, a win against Tampa, blowing out Minny in Minny, a multi-goal win against Vegas and a one-goal loss to Florida.
Panick ensues. All the deficiencies are prohibitive if contending.
Do I have that right.
Caveat: this relates more to social media and call in shows as opposed to this specific community. Check out Oilers Nation – wild stuff.
If all the cards fall correctly by the deadline, this team will be a load to play against. It is partly already there.
Well, my gosh they’ve lost 2 games this month, both one goal games. LOL. They’ve only won 5 games, that must be something to be concerned about. Don’t you think?
LOL somebody doesn’t understand sarcasm.
I turned off the game at the end and was very satisfied with where the Oilers are at. It was a less defensively stifling effort than some earlier games this month, but they will see that and adjust. Honestly, they deserved better but a team can’t win every game, and Florida was hyped up to play them, especially after the last 2 stinkers they put out.
Watch some video, make the corrections needed and move on. Also, turn down the minutes for 14-2 for the next few games – they need a rest. Maybe even see what you have in Regula on the bottom pair to add some size to 49’s pairing. Can’t hurt in the long run.
I manage to avoid the mob.
iIf they had won, would everybody be happy?
Strange, because the lessons were there regardless of the outcome.
Yes.
I’d still be concerned even if they won. Have to find a better game than that, and the Knights one. The Oilers are a more talented team than the Panthers as they are. The Knights underlyings aren’t great. In a series it’s still a coin toss IMO and it shouldn’t be anymore, even if they wouldn’t sweep them
In their last 10 games, Oilers are 8-2-0 with 44 GF, 23 GA. It’s just not acceptable!
For me it’s more a big picture thing. They are at the point where they will do well against most. Two games against teams that last took them out, two wobbly games where their level of play dropped a lot, won one but it wasn’t pretty
Winning games where it’s going your way isn’t much of a barometer for a team like this. You would hope that they get to the point where they put up strong in control efforts in big games
Most times
I don’t bother with most comment sections. Of anything, it’s all the same for most places
Great article LT. The first paragraph in this article is dead on. I hope that was a reminder of what was happening earlier in the season. Lots of areas for blame though in that loss as you mentioned. The refs were awful, been a while since I said that, injecting themselves into the game. The oilers had an awful 3rd period, been a while since I thought that or said it.
It was a pretty ugly game and especially 3rd period and there were a few moments that changed things BUT there were 2 flukey goals by the cats, well maybe one flukey and one flukey brilliant? The bounces on those 2 goals could go any which way but they went into the net tonight.
Stache Skinner is inconsistent but it wasn’t on him tonight, Bob was sleeping a bit too plus bounces. It was a non D night by both sides.
We were 1 brilliant save by Bob on Drai away from going to OT.
Sutherland reffing means the game was always going to be a shit show.
Stu needed to make some saves, the defense lost control of themselves, the Nuge/Podz/Kapa trio needed to see more ice then the bottom 2 lines.
Nuge seems to play well with the Kostin/Podkolzin player type.
Ryan is a nice story but won’t be enough for the playoffs, Philp will not be the answer to replace that.
Jinner/Ryan/Perry are all likely to be traded/waived/benched
Podz & Kapanen are easy to play with. Keep that winger combo together. Great to see Nuge in there with them, for when they load up the top line. Arvidsson will help out the bottom six and so would Philp if they just gave him the chance.
I can’t imagine anyone looked at Skinner and said that guy will score some big goals in a big physical series.
This team needs like 2 in their prime Evander Kanes.
Seeing Stu fall apart in another big game is very disheartening but not surprising.
Panthers have Stu’s number. The team needs to do a better job of protecting their goaltender.
Stu’s number is 74 which lines up with the 7 goals he allowed in 4 elimination games in the SCF.
he did have a tough game last night, no question.
No way they should have let Turtle chirp him all the way to the bench. This sudden lack of taking care of each other reminds me of the HOPE days. Someone getting mugged, nobody jumping in
If they won’t fight for each other it’s not a good thing later on. Might just be a patch here, I hope to see it change son
Last night was a perfect storm. Individual mistakes, the refs thinking people pay to watch them and Maurice and Tkachuk’s shenanigans. The planets aligned and there was fluxing Uranus with Mercury being a tardigrade.
Video coach will be busy today. Coverage issues, but more to optimize plays; Florida were extremely susceptible to the trailing player play.
These are the game I don’t put too much stock in. Played well enough to win, did everything we could not to.
Florida can play that same game over and over.
Oilers can take advantage of the trailing man over and over.
Injuries would take their toll over 7 games.
I think it was the biggest learning game of the year so far.
Arvidsson (and then Kane) will really help the bottom 6 of this team (which got absolutely crushed last night).
Hard decisions will need to be made by management as it’s not just taking players outs of the lineup but moving them off the roster (with waivers).
That’s how I see it too. I don’t think Podkolzin or Kapanen get moved off of Drai’s wings, they’ve just been too effective. Having a couple physical guys on the third line might give Henrique a bit more room to do his thing in front of the net
Sloppy game, no doubt, but Skinner should stop at least 3 of the goals on most nights and the Oilers win
Florida are the reigning Stanley Cup Champs they were shutout 2 games in a row. Everybody and their dog knew Skinner was going to get lit up like a Christmas tree against some talented shooters.
The Panthers look like they know how to score on Skinner. Mind you the Oilers similarly seem to know how to score on Bob. But at least half of Florida’s goal looked unusual, like Tkachuk’s goal that he missed with his stick but was lucky enough to angle it into the net with his skate seemingly with no kicking motion, or the puck that was deflected off Skinner’s mask at just the right angle to enter the net or the shot off Skinner’s shoulder that somehow angled into the net. It’s strange how they like to deflect the puck off Skinner and into the net. Is it intentional, something to do with Stu’s positioning or is it bad luck?
The Prime announcers mentioned numerous times how quickly Skinner was down.
Oh, and I forgot about the goal that went in off the back of I believe it was Emberson. Another strange one.
I guess what you have to figure out with Bouchard is why he was playing at an all-time playoff level, probably Norris-level, during last year’s playoffs. He had a few game states more effective than McDavid, if I recall correctly.
It seemed like the offence was as good as ever, but the defence and transition and lack of blown tires/brain farts was such an encouraging sign. He was destroying the opposition and playing the best teams in the league in the playoffs.
Is this too many minutes the last few seasons? Nervous about a contract year?
Sure hope he figures out how to stabilize his game.
I think it’s confidence. Comes and goes like the tide with many players. You can hear it post game. Stu is similar. Good to hear them accept accountability but also shows their state of mind.
This isn’t new for Bouch who annually plays better in the 2nd half than the 1st and they goes all-world in the playoffs.
Really strange how the poorly officiated games always seem to be against Vegas and Florida.
I swear they both pay off the refs or bettman does! haha.
Florida are dirty, divers that walk the line well and it works.
Pisses me off every time.
I would suggest that Ekholm made more mistakes in goals against than Bouchard last night. His worst game as an Oiler.
Both made terrible plays that hurt the team.
They both look like they need a break.
I don’t expect much in the way of changes, but the old man brigade starts looking for the buffet line under a full court press from a team with size, dinksmanship, or both – Foooey!
There you go LT and Declan
Henrique doesn’t handle pace well, he needs wingers that support his best game which involves his smarts and ability around the net. That’s not Skinner who needs to be set up, that’s mostly his game. If a forward goes, it needs to be him, he is not the Droid Bowman should be looking for, doesn’t help where the help is needed for this group
I remain convinced that they need some set offensive tactics to fall back to in games like that. When they hang around the lower boards trying to thread the needle through a maze of players, it rarely works, they turn it over, and I see the frustration mounting and the devolution of their game, or the top player’s games
If they have possession they need to have sets of quick passes to get the puck out front to an open player with a lane. Like happens to them. That will be a short window, so trying to do it with creativity mostly doesn’t work in games like that – they are looking around too much, hesitant, and the bad guys just stand in a pack in front of the net until the Oilers cough it up
Or back to the point with players getting in front to screen or deflect. They do it occasionally – it has to be consistent when there isn’t much else there when trying to cycle
They also need to start finding more assertive, meaner and in spots bigger players. They are open to being roughed up, Vegas does and and the Panthers. Too many nice guys that want to play nice hockey and aren’t that big. To me the only guys that get a pass on that are high talent offensive players. Everyone else needs to be able to bring physicality and edge when it’s needed
In a game like that if they had Kane and a few more dinks, they could have changed the momentum, get Florida off their thing. Being on the receiving end most of the time gets tiring mentally
Henrique, Jinner, Brown, Ryan is 66% of the bottom that aren’t really very physical even if Rico and Ryan hit, and smallish
Top 6 only Drai and Hyman are over 200. Kap and Pod give a lot, but they are lighter players and aren’t mean by nature. Nuge is small and can get pushed to the margins in games like that
On D right now only two are over 200. That’s a small D group. Emberson and Stecher try, but they aren’t big enough to make anyone think twice. Ekholm is aging and I don’t think can be relied upon (or should be) to be able to bring a hard game all of the time. He seems tired
Bowman has made teams more balanced that way, we’ll see. Regula is bigger, but from what I have read isn’t a physical type. They need some meaner and bigger guys – especially in the bottom part of the roster – that are zero fun to play against, and know when to get it on. Kane and Nurse aren’t enough and J Brown isn’t playable
The Oilers have been one of the top teams in the league for almost two months. I would not expect changes after one bad game that resulted in a one goal loss to an elite team.
I do note that all the cool kids on social media who have had nothing to post about in recent weeks are out with a vengeance. Vitriol towards many players and current and past management.
Every loss.
I get what you are saying, but I don’t agree completely. What it comes down to are what are the expectations for success for this group? That is always going to be mitigated by having Connor McDavid on the team, as it should be. When you have an all time great player, it’s different than for other teams
There are some very talented players. MacK, Eichel, Barkov, Point/Kucherov, Crosby who is the best of those players. They all are not in the same echelon as Connor by production, and they all have at least one Cup
If being one of the better teams in the league is the goal, fair enough, they are there, based on their current record and getting to the finals last season
If the goal is bigger than that, which it is to the players based on what they have said, and for many fans, there are still some things to worry about and improve in their game. The same things happen against top teams, that speak to the need for improvement
They beat Vegas but many thought – including the coach – they were more puck lucky than good. They were poor and scrambly against the Panthers, who controlled the game even if they got behind, or at least took it over .The Panthers were in control of that game mentally for sure. Missed Kane there
The same issues came up with mental lapses and forcing plays that aren’t there. Getting pushed to the perimeter for a big part of the game. If winning a Cup is the goal, they still need to improve in some areas, and that is fair and valid criticism when the same problems happen over years in key moments
It’s not vitriol at least for me, I want them to reach their full potential, and the progression has been painfully slow. It’s part of the process for some fans who want to analyze the game
They came close to reaching their full potential last season even when at this time last season, it was questionable if they’d even be in the playoffs. Panthers beat them last night and in game seven in the SCF, and IMO Florida was more puck lucky than good on both occasions.
One thing to remember about the SCF was they went down 3-0. Great comeback, it will never likely happen again for them. That they went down like that is a part of the same conversation. There is more work to be done
It seem that “wanting them to reach their full potential” includes not only winning every game but winning every game while carrying the play for 60 minutes and not making any mistakes.
Given what this team has done in the last, two months, really, but in particular the last month, with full respect, in my opinion, your expectations seem quite unrealistic.
I am not saying that they should or could win every game. I am saying that they still have issues in big games, and the last two were. Great teams step up to big moments. The Oilers don’t always
What it comes back to for me is people don’t seem to take into account Connor. This isn’t a regular team, like the Pens weren’t with prime Syd, or the Oilers with Gretz. It’s different because of that advantage, all time great players
If Drai was the top player, it would be different, and they would be in the same boat as the Avs (MacK) Lightning (Kucherov), Panthers (when Slasha plays) or the Knights (Eichel). But that’s not the case. They haven’t reached their peak as a team, there is more, the other teams have, and perhaps the Oilers won’t, which would be a damn shame
This is just not true, as a black and white statement.
Firstly, top do teams do NOT always step up in big moments – this game was no bigger than Saturday (in fact, it actually means less), did the Knights “step up” on Saturday? They lost by three goals.
Did the Oilers not step up in the playoffs winning 5 games in row where they faced elimination? Those were big games.
This is the NHL, where bottom feeders beat (and even blow out) top teams many times per year.
You hit the nail on the head
Isn’t what you described Jeff Skinner’s strength – finding the lane in the slot and unleashing his quality shot.
I’m not sure if that was me, but that is exactly how you use a player like that if you sign one. Kind of like Reinhart. He doesn’t seem to do much but score. The Panthers need that production. The Oilers can use a 5v5 shooter for sure
Yes, they do need some more evil, mean & nasty individuals. I can agree with that.
we’re watching in real time why Skinner is -138 on his career (an actual number). Evander Kane can’t come back fast enough.
Jeff Skinner might be an important salary dump to accommodate a higher-priced defenseman from a non-playoff team.
By March that will be around 1,080 NHL career regular season games and 0 career playoff games for defense-optional Skinner.
The NMC might make that tougher to do
LOVE the idea of swapping his salary for an actual D, minus the definitions in his contract that say we can’t. Feels like we’re pot committed to him. And likely, he’ll be in the pressbox during the playoffs. Can we trade for “McLeod”?
Oilers played great, until they lost the plot.
Team needs more discipline, to be sure.
A lot of people are going to have qualms with Bouchard, Ekholm, Skinner and co. And the Refs. And FLA being grime-y.
But this team is getting scoring from its top 6. And there are some gems in the bottom 6.
But I look at that 0% xGF for the Skinner-Janmark-Henrique trio and see red flags for days.
That game exposed some of the Oilers lack bottom 6 skill and speed. And Jeff Skinner, my lord, he might be able to shoot the puck, but he can’t forecheck, can’t play defense and can’t play the boards.
It really looks like the game is passing him and Henrique by. And Derek Ryan to boot.
There are reinforcements coming, but I miss the days of McLeod skating pucks out of danger and Holloway / Foegele skating them into danger in the O-zone.
This team needs some youth and speed in their bottom 6.
Henrique seemed better than this last year, but it’s like the wheels have fallen off. I’m almost more disappointed in him than Skinner just because he seemed like a known commodity after the playoffs.
Henrique looked slow in last years playoffs. He just happened to score a few goals so nobody seemed to notice.
Skinner is Mike Hoffman lite. If he isn’t scoring, he’s not an NHL player. Even if he gets hot and scores 20 it’s difficult to see him in this lineup when everyone is healthy.
I don’t think trading him is an option, doesn’t he have an NMC? Thank God he’s only signed for this year.
Per NHL Edge, which tracks actual data on elements of player speed, does not have Henrique as being slow. He has hit 22.63 MPH this season, which is 80% for forwards. Considering he is below 50 percentile in TOI, he is also 78 percentile for bursts of 22, and 52 and 55 percentile for bursts over 20 and 18 mph respectively.
He is definitely not as fast as McLeod, and maybe he looks slower comparatively on the Oilers, which have the second fastest skating team in the NHL by every measure on NHL Edge, but he is not slow. He his shifts are short (45 seconds, 12th on the team, so he doesn’t run out of gas).
I’m not too disturbed by the outcome of the game last night.
But as someone mentioned on the game day thread, this is why Bouchard is not on the 4 Nations roster. He’s too deep into his career now to be making these errors, or rather, he’s too deep into his career for us to anticipate he will rid them from his game.
I know when one criticises Bouchard one needs to provide a suite a caveats for fear of appearing as if you have a superficial understanding of the sport. And don’t get me wrong I like what he brings when he giveth, but holy cow he gives a lot of it back.
I have no answers for this player. Other than accepting that glory might be one brain fart away at any moment.
I do wonder if he is 100% after that crash the other day. He seemed like he had some slow boots last night.
Slow boots don’t explain the bad decisions and puck plays he makes.
For a guy who is supposed to be great at passing and putting pucks on net, he sure seems to get a lot of passes and shots blocked or deflected.
I doubt Bouchard is going to change his decision making, but I would like to see him better at the skills he’s supposed to be good at.
It’s hard to live with the risks when his strengths aren’t on display.
I think slow boots absolutely played a part in Bouchard’s rough night. He is normally very good at walking the blue line to change up his angles to get the puck through. He is also usually a threat to take it deep, meaning guys can’t glue themselves right to him or he just walks around them. He seemed unable to do those things last night and was often trying to thread the needle and make a dangerous pass, or try and shoot it through whoever was playing him tight at the point. At least that’s what I saw.
Didn’t help that his partner was having a very bad night in his own right.
As someone with first-hand (head?) experience, I can tell you that a bonk on the head WILL have longer term effects. What Bouchard experienced was not a minor bonk, either. Not enough to keep him out of games, but “mental exhaustion” is a reality for any kind of bonk like that. His coaches need to guard against that, for his sake and for the team’s sake. He needs less minutes per game, at least for a few games or weeks.
The brain is a resilient beast. Much more resilient than we used to believe. But it needs some measure of rest to recover.
Did you see the mistakes that Ekholm, Ekblad and Forsling made last night? Even more egregious in the case of the Panther player as they were mistakes on decisions (not falling by accident) that directly cost their team goals.