Northern Lights dancing at Turtle Lake, SK. Photo by Todd Kirkpatrick
It’s difficult to see the Oilers losing often in a year where expectations were so high not long ago. There are some encouraging dashboard lights we can discuss, but there’s zero doubt this team is challenged offensively beyond the Glimmer Twins, Evan Bouchard and two or three guys who are productive when healthy.
How did the Oilers get here? Well, the free-agent forwards got old in a hurry and that’s bad. Real bad.
There’s also the matter of coach Kris Knoblauch hermetically sealed Jeff Skinner into a role where the winger cannot succeed. That’s especially galling since our dear friend math has shown us the truth and the way.
The coach did check down to Henrique in more of an offensive role than Nuge, and he did fire up the line of the decade who leaped tall buildings in a single bound.
THE NUMBERS
I have an article coming out this weekend that endorses the idea of running the Glimmer Twins with Zach Hyman until further notice. Something has to give with the Nuge. I’ve been talking about this for a long time now, certainly since Nuge-McDavid passed 200 minutes together. The coach has his reasons (the duo is 50 percent goal share five-on-five away from Draisaitl, 57 percent expected) but the offense is gone from 93’s stick.
It gives me no great pleasure to point this out, but just saying what is happening doesn’t really cut it.
THE 2017-18 MCDAVID WINGERS
Here are the totals for each of the seven main wingers who played with Connor McDavid in 2017-18. There was more offense going both ways, and the team’s style was more freewheeling than it is today. All but one (the expensive one, because Oilers) thrived offensively with 97. I’m especially impressed, looking back, with young Puljujarvi’s performance.
Nugent-Hopkins was stellar here, a top-end two-way forward and a fine complementary scorer at his peak. Playing with the purest offensive force on the planet helped, but credit where due Nuge walloped in 2017-18.
THE 2024-25 MCDAVID WINGERS
Let me ask you something. When you look at this, and focus on the Draisaitl number, can you honestly blame the coach for throwing those two over the boards at the same time? On the other hand, here are McDavid’s numbers with various linemates this season:
The captain is delivering quality with all but Connor Brown and Viktor Arvidsson, and I’m going to respectfully blame them. McDavid with Draisaitl is 3.19 this season, in 2017-18 it was 3.13. It all came back but one drop.
Look, Stan Bowman reportedly tried to get a winger at the deadline for McDavid, but the real problem is this team has too many veteran wingers who are no longer capable of finding the net. Ordinarily I would argue regression will come, but we are at 440 minutes for McDavid-Nuge. One of them is performing well and the other is in the ditch.
Nuge is delivering less offense this season than Milan Lucic did in 2017-18, and we all buried Lucic. Nuge will always be one of my all-time favourites, but it’s time to check down. Maybe run Henrique-McDavid or try Trent Frederic when he’s ready, but this much sadness is too much sorrow. It needs to end.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN MARCH
- On the road to: CAR (Expected 0-0-1) (Actual 1-0-0)
- At home to: ANA, MTL, DAL (Expected 2-1-0) (Actual 2-1-0)
- On the road to: BUF, NJD, NYI, NYR (Expected 2-2-0) (Actual 0-2-0)
- At home to: UTA, WPG, SEA, DAL (Expected 2-2-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- On the road to: SEA (Expected 0-0-1) (Actual 0-0-0)
- At home to: CGY (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- Overall expected results: 7-5-2, 16 points in 14 games
- March result: 3-2-0
- Oilers in 2024-25: 37-24-4, 78 points in 65 games
The Lowdown hits today at noon, Sports 1440. Steve Lansky and Tyler Yaremchuk will be our guests and we’ll give you full throttle on the text line to sing the ventilator blues. 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, it’s available post-show on apple and spotify, and we tweet it out on X.
100% Frederic on 97s wing, see how Frederic is rolling when he gets in, may take a few games before he gets going again. It seems like 97 is beyond frustrated with not only himself but his linemates and the season in general. They looked defeated after the buzzer last night. I think they may come around but damn… frustrated, tired looking team right now. Its a few things and they have all been commented on in these comments, not just 1 thing.
SO it doesn’t get buried: I found this interesting
According to @bluebulletbrad1981
This team is 5th out of the 10 McDavid teams in GF/60. Not good, but not as dire as some want to think.
The goal tending is 10th out of 10 teams in the McDavid era. Worse than even the Campbell years so this team can’t outscore the problem….Skinner is the one skewering the team.
The fact that Management(and the MSM) thought that goal tending was good enough at the deadline just adds to the LONG list of Oilers management failures.
It is a few things but a big issue is they have to protect their tending to almost perfection and if they don’t it sewers the game. I am not a fan of a more blocking goaltender vs a more athletic style goaltender. Skinner is a position/blocker of the puck more than he is an athletic style tender. It seems like his confidence is low and he isnt battling enough to see pucks and be in the right position to allow the puck to hit him. He does make some outstanding saves and then lets in ones that make you sigh. So when those go in the bench sags. Its such a combo of things as well but pucks are just getting around him right now and through even with some amazing saves.
Does anyone else find the Oilers dump and chase game annoying? It leads to a lot of grinding along the boards but not a lot of clean chances from scoring areas. Most of their “high danger” chances seem to be wildly batting at pucks while the lanes are clogged with players and sticks. I’d like to see them gain the offensive zone with possession and speed more often rather than the forwards standing on the blue line waiting for the defenseman to gain the red line and fire the puck deep so that they can scramble after it. This means transitioning the puck out of the defensive zone earlier and quicker.
I seem to remember when KK started, the center swinging deep into the defensive zone to start the transition, and short passes to work the puck quickly up the ice.
16 game winning streak starts tonight to end the year, book it!!
I’ll show myself out.
one game at at time
It just takes one bounce
get the puck deep, keep it simple
I just want to thank the good lord above
In the spirit of optimism I’ll just post something positive.
I’ve been really impressed with Kulak’s game this season. He’s taken a big step forward. He’s often the best defenseman on the ice.
Hi all, I’m a (nearly) daily reader, who posts very infrequently (maybe on the order less than once a year). I watch all the games, and try to attend a couple of live games per year.
Watching the last few weeks reminds me of how difficult it is in the NHL to sustain excellence for long. At some point, you have to mortgage the future for the present, but when? You have to cut ties with the past without being too sentimental – but when? We use the past to predict the future – until the player is no longer on the same curve, but when is that?
It’s hard for me to fault management in retrospect, because last July, I believed that Arvidsson > Foegele, the future of Savoie > Mcleod and in Aug that J Skinner > Holloway (although I was loath to part with him because I liked the elements he brought).
Although it’s not a popular view and the on-ice results haven’t been borne out, I still believe the above (although J Skinner vs Holloway may be questionable now). I remember the final against Florida when Foegele was totally neutered and Mcleod was benched.
We need to figure out the PK. And CMD needs come back, not this Manchurian Candidate version currently occupying his jersey. I think he’s spent from the last playoff run and is now trying too hard. I’ve never seen him make so many errant passes, or attempted passes through 2 defenders. He’ll figure it out.
I still believe. And if I’m wrong, I’ll still have seen some amazing hockey.
This team could go on a run and win the cup. It doesn’t look like it now, but you never know.
Regardless, I believe the Oilers peaked, from a talent standpoint, last spring. The current team is aging quickly, with very little young talent or draft capital to fill the cracks. Stan Bowman has very difficult job ahead of him.
Some of us saw this coming last summer, but we were assured that all these veteran forwards would continue to provide past production into their thirties. That’s not looking very likely right now.
Looking back, we had a 3C that could skate and transport the puck, we had a C/W that looked like he was about to pop based on his playoffs, and a young dman with tremendous reach and skating ability.
We replaced the 2 forwards with Henrique and Skinner. We just now replaced the dman with Walman, but that cost another first round pick.
The depletion of assets is truly staggering.
Jeff Jackson accomplished all this in about 2 months. It took Chiarelli over a year to do this much damage.
3rd place this morning, and the 7,8,9, and 10 teams are in the hunt
Evan Bouchard is starting to come along and heat up. Goals are coming and egregious giveaways have become rare over the last handful of games.
We know Evan Bouchard is a stretch drive and playoff performer.
Lots of other issues/players that need to come around but he is at the top of the list of importance.
Hmm, offense has been coming. But defensive miscues have also been happening at breakneck speed.
I don’t agree – I think those have been reduced over the last handful of games. Cult had him with zero mistakes on high danger chances against last night. Not many giveaways in recent games.
He’s been getting tremendous looks especially in the slot needs to bury a couple for confidence reasons. Evan should have 20 goals and he will flirt or hit that mark for the next 6-8 years. Whether he’s with the Oilers is another question realistically Evan is probably our most valuable chip that may be cashed in this summer by the crafty Bowman.
Of course he’s a valuable chip – he’s also extremely valuable to the Oilers and imperative to Stanley Cup success.
I have no doubt that Bowman looked for a top six winger, but prices. Accounts are the Pens were looking for a top prospect plus a 1st rounder for Rackell – come on now.
Friedman said Savoie and TWO firsts for Rackell. Dubas hates the Oil, I’d guess cause we took all his good depth guys (and Jack Campbell, you’re welcome Kyle). Remember him wanting a 2nd for another year of Hyman?
Wow, that’s just insane. I would expect to get Rantanen for that price.
Last year they had no runway to have a losing streak. This year they do. It’s unfortunate they decided to use it but that’s being an Oiler fan.
I guess the hope is that Kane and Frederic will both magically be ready for Game 1 against the Kings and magically will not be hugely rusty
Last season:
December 9-3-0
January 11-0
February 6-5-1
March 10-3-2
April 4-4-2
This season:
December 9-3-1
January 10-3-1
February 2-6-0
March 3-3-0
Definitely need a run here.
I think these numbers provide perspective. February’s 2-6 is yucky. But December and January are rocking.
Last years April looks similar to this years March. Looks like we didn’t skate into the playoffs on a high note last year. 4-4-2. 4 wins, 6 losses. Went to the cup finals though.
I actually think a healthy return of Ek, is far more valuable then Frederic and Kane returning.
I also think Skinner will magically be (at least a little bit) better when Ek returns.
I don’t like it, but I am so very far from writing them off, that’s for sure. In fact it kind of seems like our Oilers.
Also our Oilers – coming off of big breaks with heavy legs. Ever since covid playoffs. That four nations really killed some momentum.
I watch other teams play and I don’t see the same intensity as thrown against the Oilers. They Oilers are still getting the opponents best game.
Here is the optimistic take.
Oilers have high highest and lowest lows. In order to be high for the playoffs, we need to go through the lows now.
Everything is right on schedule. 🙂
Let’s go get a regulation win tonight!
Adam Henrique is a 4C, and at this point that’s being generous.
Jeff Skinner looks like he needs the mobility scooter that Perry was riding last year.
Connor Brown should retire.
Jones/McDavid/Hyman
Podkolzin/Draisaitl/Kapanen
Arvidsson/Nuge/Perry
Scratch the rest, dress 9 defenders.
Shave Stu’s entire head, take away his cool looking equipment,
I agree but why not then run a line of Savoie, Philp, and X.
Max Jones is not an NHL player.
Kapanen is no better than Henrique, Brown, Skinner. He’s faster. He makes more mistakes and leaks more goals.
Kap and Jones were both problems in the goal against the 4th line.
This team could use Warren Foegele’s 5 on 5 acumen.
If you squint, Jones does look very much like Foegele. So there’s that.
Except Foegele produces at 5 on 5.
Kapanen is not a center, it wasn’t Kapanen’s guy that scored, Kapanen is not a goalie.
Kapanen was one of the only bottom 9 forwards that displayed any offensive ability with the puck.
Warren Foegele is not a Oiler, when he was he could only produce riding Draisaitl’s leg, was being healthy scratched in the playoffs.
Max Jones is playing in the NHL right now.
Comparing a guy that makes 1 million to one that cashed in and is making 3.5x more. Excellent.
Warren Foegele has 18 goals and 34 points at 5 on 5 this season – none of them playing with Leon Draisaitl. Byfield and Trevor Moore his two most common linemates.
In his 3 seasons with Edmonton he didn’t produce at those levels unless with Draisaitl. Congrats on Foegele not being a regrettable signing for the Kings, the Oilers had no business giving him that deal with the 3 years of statistical facts they had infront of them.
The Oilers were right in not paying Maroon for his McDavid bump, and they were right for not paying Foegele his Draisaitl bump.
18 5 on 5 goals last year.
18 5 on 5 goals this year plus 34 points (already) on a team that “can’t score” and he plays with Byfield (and Moore).
Its wild that a fan can deride what Foegele can accomplish at 5 on 5 and pump the tires of Kasperi Kapanen and Mattias Janmark.
With all due respect, Max Jones is barely a NHL player.
Same with Kapanen.
This deserves repeating….
I think we’re also seeing the Ekholm-vacuum. Without him in the top 4, this team is as bland as scrambled eggs without Olive Garden dressing.
I firmly believe that a responsible, talented back end doesn’t just shelter a below- average goalie or turn an average goalie into a SC winner (see Matt Murray, Corey Crawford, Adin Hill, Braden Holtby..,). Vegas has done this the past 6 years. And they did it via trade and free agency (Theodore, Pietrangelo, Hanifin, Whitecloud).
I think this team has firmly discounted the value of a deep d-core. A strong D gets the puck moving north and I believe this puts average-to-good forwards in a position to succeed. I think this explains a lot of what’s happened to Hyman, Skinner, Nuge, Henrique, Arvidsson – they can’t piss a drop this year after years of reasonable productivity. Did age suddenly hit everyone all at the same time?? I doubt it.
Bowman has added what you’d said. JJ let Des walk and despite a few fans around here has failed the second and third opinion tests. Emberson and Walman can skate and pass
All of the D group now can. Is the group ideal? No. But I think more rounded than last years group. Ceci makes a few good plays but overall isn’t a good puck mover, had huge gaps and while supposedly being sound positionally let a lot of pucks through him from the corners to net front. Hurt us plenty in last playoffs
That only two centres are playing well I think hurts the forwards more right now
Tweeners do not work out anywhere. Desharnais was a good regular season fit for the OIlers. Kulak was an above average #5D, who could compensate for Vinny’s weaknesses. Desharnais brought size, physicality, PK ability, and a joyful enthusiam for the game on and off the ice in a super serious lockerroom. He was Stu Skinner’s best friend on the team.
It would be grossly negligent not to do this. Teach the rest of the forward group to play a 1-3-1 trap or something. Maybe they can do a good job keeping the puck out of their own net, cause they sure as hell can’t seem to put it in the other team’s.
Maybe they can chase the other team for 35 minutes ensuring the top line’s 25 minutes is reduced to 18 minutes because were in the box all day.
Stuart Skinner Career:
168 GP / 94 Wins / 2.74 GAA / .906 SV%
Mikko Koskinen Career:
168 GP / 85 Wins / 3.01 GAA / .906 SV%
Skinner is a very mediocre goalie. Good enough to play games in the NHL, but not good enough to help elevate an NHL team. The weak goals he lets in that other goalies stop with more consistency have made the Oilers a fragile team.
I liked Koskinen (more than most) about as much as I like Skinner. So I’m glad the results line up.
I honestly believe that if Skinner wasn’t from Edmonton, that this issue would be more of a focus.
It almost seems like a media mandate to refrain from saying anything negative about our goaltending. I don’t get it. Last night after the third goal, the actual goal call was barely out of Jack’s mouth before him and Louie were tripping over each other to say that Skinner had no chance. It’s just weird to me.
We certainly don’t want another Dubnyk situation on our hands where he is chased off before he transforms into something better, but how can the true story of this team be told without an honest assessment that the Oilers are getting the worst goaltending duo performance in the league?
Mike Smith got raked over the coals in this town but was putting up significantly better numbers than this. Again, I swear it’s because Skinner is from here.
It was a mistake for the media and the fans to have run Koskinen out of town.
The Oilers would not have made the Campbell mistake if they had gone with a Skinner Koskinen tandem. I believe I said so at the time. Before suggesting Jake Allen as the target to replace him.
It was a mistake of management to give Koskinen the 2nd contract he was given – that started it.
Gut check time for the Oilers. Unfortunately this team is looking like the Skinner /Arvidsson signings combined with losing Broberg and Holloway this summer was a fatal wound that the team just can’t recover from. Maybe they can get healthy and start playing better but the arrows are all pointing down right now and it doesn’t look good.
Completely agree. I remember thinking that the McLeod trade had something to do with fear of an offer sheet. They weren’t better that day on the NHL squad after that trade. And then Armstrong went in for the kill…
but this much sadness is too much sorrow. It needs to end.
What’s the expression? “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results”?
KK needs to be trying everything under the sun to fix the scoring balance, and that includes options from Bako.
I’ve said I think they need a different coach. I do t like this system it’s stifling too many players. However KK did identify the problem. It’s not easy to play with the duo and players defer too much, he called it
This is why I felt they were short on centres. They only have two effective ones, and they need them playing together. MacKinnon sue the Avs were healthy enough always plays with the best other forward
They need to find three other lines that player ‘regular’ hockey that can function and run the duo together, so the other guys can get some kind of game going. That’s the play I can’t see another solution at this point
Pittsburgh won with Crosby and Malkin mostly playing about.
Colorado won when they had Kadri as the 2nd line centre.
Tampa was three lines deep.
Successive Oiler managements cannot recognize the supporting talent they have and should keep, nor the supporting talent they should acquire.
Holland in his plodding and inefficient ways was the best of the lot, but he was overpaying and bleeding and still making too many mistakes along the way.
MacTavish, Chiarelli, Jackson, and Bowman…the first thing they did when in charge was shoot themselves in both feet.
Bowman can’t be included yet. The summer wasn’t on him and the deadline gives what it gives. By all reports he was very active. Thankfully smart enough not to gut the org for one run, he could have
He also had movement clauses galore he didn’t give. Not his first rodeo, and blowing a struggling team up in a down mood, changing a bunch of players doesn’t necessarily work as he said, too much disruption and not time to work everyone in
He also spoke about what they do have and I think realizes there is a lot on the team, just not in sync. He also knows what’s going on with health. Maybe enough guys injuries heal and the sicknesses are done and they get back to where they were at times this season
If he has a meh summer I’ll be after him. They need some structural changes
Bowman had the choice to match the offer sheets. It was likely he was being consulted on July 1.
The formal hiring was done the way it was likely for PR purposes, to try burying it in the middle of July.
That may be true he was reinstated July 10th but we don’t know
The NHL wanted to bury it in the middle of summer also to avoid it being new during the high profile draft and free agency period.
It’s a losing streak cause they can’t hit the broad side of a barn, not because the team is bad. 0.896 sv% certainly doesn’t help anything.
They’re playing in atrocious luck. Get me an Evander Kane who just shoots from anywhere to get the mojo back. I watched Skinner and Nuge both look off great chances from what i can only assume is confidence.
They’re on the right side of all the metrics but hopefully Ekholm comes back and cleans up the rush D cause all the zone time followed by a jailbreak is killing them.
Couldn’t agree more with this take. They’ve played ok these last two games. Just no finish at the moment.
I’m on board
This is why I like more direct assertive players. Some people just go and do, some get into their own heads which leads to over thinking and that is not good for any pro athlete
A little balls out would be a big boost I agree. Some players call it swagger, I don’t like that word. Sounds like cockiness to me and that’s not what’s needed. It can be broken easily like Kane broke Tkachuk. A strong desire not to be beaten and doing whatever that entails, balls out
Not moping and worrying, if things aren’t working hit some guys and get in grills. Get after the goalie. Disrupt the whole deal. That mental change can reignite the fires. Not many fellas like that in this group at the moment
Maybe the Coach’s game plan is “get the puck to McDavid” and “get the puck to Drai” so that’s what everyone looks to do all the time.
I was thinking about this today, and for all the things we are worried about, the lack of scoring across the team is THE issue. This team reminds of the late McLellan early Tippett Oilers, but McDavid is not going supernova.
I think it’s clear now how bad the off-season was for this team. These stats put an exclamation point on that:
Player Goals Assists Pts “+/-”
Dylan Holloway 21 27 48 9
Ryan McLeod 14 21 35 8
Warren Foegele 19 18 37 27
Total 54 66 120 44
Victor Arvidsson 8 12 20 3
Jeff Skinner 11 10 21 -6
Adam Henrique 8 9 17 3
Total 27 31 58 0
———————————————
Difference 27 35 62 44
Imagine this team with 62 more points from the complementary players, or a goal differential that was 44 better than it is right now. So sad to see a team lose so much young (and improving) talent after being one game away from winning it all.
Until someone figures out how to take Daryl’s phone away from him so he cant meddle with the team and its decision makers every day this team will continue to stumble around. Boy what I would give to have been in the room last July 1st to see who was really making the decisons.
I wonder if it’s that or justJeff Jackson’s inexperience. Absolutely unforgivable to have no one ready to replace Holland! And then to trade or let all of the young talent walk!!
I’d like to hear the ego’s in the room.
Offer sheets are always “out there” but the players will rarely sing them. If they do, the team takes it personally, right or wrong.
What are you implying? What moves did Daryl make during the offseason?
Last time there were leaves on the trees I thought this team would score 400 goals.
It’s been a team just happy to be in the nhl for a long time.
I just saw a post that said that this Oilers team isn’t as bad at scoring as you think. This team is 5th in GF/60 in the ten years of McDavid.
This goal tending tandem is 10th out of 10 season. Sucks to say, but Skinner IS the issue this year
Team is old and slow. Management is also old and slow. Pipeline is bare and the team doesn’t have a first round pick until 2027, which is coincidentally when the glimmer twins will start seeing the first grey hairs on their heads. Pains me to say it, but I think this group missed their chance. Yuck.
I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time.
Explains why your posts make my eyes burn.
I’m not surprised you moved to insults. Just disappointed.
Edit: On further review it was a sharp comeback. Play on. Have a good weekend.
Glad we went through the unnecessary pain of the Bowman hire for this. I said it would bring bad vibes and here we are. The vibes are shot and it starts at the top. Oh these things aren’t connected? Let’s find out this summer when 97 makes a decision.
Trading 97 to reestablish a competitive team under 29 is going to come into play as a scenario and it’s only because these eggheads aren’t fit to check Holland’s guide and record book out of the library.
Good job team.
97 and 2 in exchange for young skill and depth and futures. It pains me to say it but do you want Stanley?
You don’t trade generational players and win the trade, so that leads to Stanley? Oiler history doesn’t suggest that path works
bang on. the only exception would be the Lindros trade
Wayne Gretzky.
With most of the other guys. I recall a pretty long road after 1990 to 2015
Management inept to the point of totally wasting not one but very nearly two generational players isn’t going to start making better ones simply because they trade away McDavid.
Now this is the kind of unbiased, math based rhetoric this blog is famous for.
We in our bad vibes era. These things are connected because of something that hasn’t happened in the future.
I don’t think the GM affects the ice outside of acting like a buffoon or not knowing what good NHL players look like. He hasn’t done the former and we don’t have enough track to know the latter. But after years of weak I don’t see any egregious errors
For everyone: I said: “is going to come into play as a scenario”
I am not advocating nor proposing.
I am bracing. You should too.
This is more likely:
1 – Oilers trade McDavid …
2 – Draisaitl demands(and gets) a trade…
3 – Lowe+MacT resume the day to day running of the team.
You can’t make this up.
This is more likely:
1 – Oilers trade McDavid…
2 – Draisaitl demands(and gets) a trade…
3 – Lowe+MacT resume the day to day running of the team.
You can’t really make this kind of stupidity up.
More likely, in my opinion:
1 – Oiler sign McDavid
2 – Oiler fans continue to over-react and catastrophize any negative stretch over 3 games.
Rose tinted glasses…
The Oilers started off the season 2-9-1 last year, then went on to win 16 games in a row a few months later.
The Oilers are in a similar funk at this point in the season. Will they turn it around in a month or so, and win 16 games in a row when the playoffs start? Whew.
I am 99.9% that won’t happen. May need to take a step back for a week or two, this team brings me down.
Common denominator is a healthy Ekholm and a weak Stu.
Ekholm being MIA whether through injury. illness or age has had a massive negative effect on the D. The only real physical presence net front is Nurse (jury still out on Walman but looks promising) S Skinner is by no means off the hook but opposition forwards being allowed to camp out at the top of the crease result in a lot of point shots going in. At the other end our legion of small, slow, non physical forwards don’t spend much time net front other than perhaps Perry and Pods. Hard to believe this team can turn it around and make a play off run? Could be looking at a Major rebuild this off season. Extremely disappointing.
Prospecticatessen!
A sextet of NAmateurs are on display tonight.
O’Reilly missed London’s most recent match, presumably from a first-period injury sustained the game prior. Can he resume his heater (9 + 6 his last 7 GP)?
After going soupless in five straight, Nicholl has points in back-to-back games.
And Akey, after going half a season without a goal, has goals in back-to-back games. Can he tack on another (or more) tonight? And can Wakely build off a 3-point performance yestergame?
Peterborough has been officially eliminated, meaning the House of Stone will be playing his propreantepenultimate* junior game.
Berry and his Jacks of Lumber round out the sched.
Barrie (Akey, Wakely) @ 5 p.m.
London (O’Reilly, Nicholl) @ 5 p.m.
Peterborough (Stonehouse) @ 5 p.m.
Muskegon (Berry) @ 6 p.m.
All times are two times and are also Halkirk time.
London’s match will be shown on the OHL’s YouTube, FB and X feeds.
*Yes, it exists. It’s one of them fancy words what means fifth-last.
oh man, what a word. It’s Greek to me, and I know Greek
I freely admit I was a fan of the moves that JJ made at first; Then they brought in Bowman(an unnecessary distraction that is NOW starting to re-emerge) and when the offer sheets arrived, they really crapped the bed and it’s set the franchise back, at least this season but likely more. Couple that with the complete failure to address goal tending at the deadline, and you have to wonder if this organization will ever get it correct.
Will they ever do the due diligence that’s required?? Couple that with another coach that doesn’t play young players and we are left smashing our heads against the wall. Have they learned anything???
Ten years after having been given a gift from the Gods, and they are a one-line team, with sub-par goal tending, and they might chase their best defenseman out of town.
Wash, rinse, repeat in this hellscape known as Oilers fandom. Dark days
Thanks Daryl because the buck always stops at the top
This game is won by teams that have 4 lines that can play against any other line and at least hold their own. Even with McDrais numbers together, the rest of the lines have to get some time on ice and have to at least saw off. There has been so much constant juggling there is no way for any line to get comfortable wi the one another. Start as you fecking mean to go. Keep McDrai together. Fine. But then make other serviceable lines and keep them together for more than 5 milliseconds. Same with d. I get the coach trying to find solutions but if I had a new work partner 3 times a day my head would be spinning, and my effectiveness would be severely diminished. Everyone needs a role and needs to know what that role is. They don’t. The only guys being trusted and believed in are McDrai. It is clear by coaching decisions.
the lifecycle of an Oilers coach has always ended here. They exhaust the two stars (3 if you include Bouch) and everyone else is not useful any longer and the team itself knows it and EVERY OTHER team also knows it. Survive the McDrai minutes and prey on all the other minutes. It’s a winning formula for OTHER teams.
but did you do your part and watch the game
I did! I was awake at 2 am here.
The Calgary Flames are 7 points back of the Oilers with a game in hand.
I don’t know what to make of that.
Oilers currently 12th in the league.
Might be a good time to post a W.
All that matters are points in the standings so I have no issue with McD and Drais stacked, as long as the rest of the roster can saw it off. Therein lies the problem – they aren’t.
Add to that, the defense are playing really small at the moment and this hurts the cycle breaks/net clears. Goals are coming from odd spots as there is so much traffic in the slot. Blame Skinner if you like but it is hard to see through 3-4 guys every shift.
Will be an interesting summer to say the least.
Last night:
29-97-18 +2
Bottom 9: -3
all goals scored at 5v5.
the whole point of McDrai is to win their part of the game & saw off the rest.
A must win. No other way to put it.
A supposed inferior opponent. Now officially lost home ice in round one.
A playoff spot is only held by 3.5 games.
Must win – in order to….
Naming a game a must win is saying that in order to achieve some goals they must win now. But we know they won’t win the rest, and the order the losses come is unimportant so it’s hard to label any given game a must win.
That said. If they want a division championship, perhaps this and every other game in the season are must wins.
If they want the fan base to enjoy their weekend it is a must win.
If THEY want to enjoy their weekend it is a must win.
Perhaps even if they want to turn the ship around in time to salvage home ice – they must win a string of games. Best start now.
If they want to slip in at 3rd place… Wildcard… Go ahead and coast back on d, toss a few turnovers out. Still got a little rope left there.
That San Jose loss early in the season last year. That was a must win for Woodcroft. Not for the Oilers though – they managed to crawl out of the wreckage.
If we don’t get out of round 1, I wonder what that wreckage looks like.