The Edmonton Oilers of this era are driven by captain Connor McDavid. He brings elite skills and can push the river all the way to the sea. He is also the emotional leader of the team, and I get the feeling this Oilers team is playing with an extra edge.
McDavid’s comments about the team’s health featured some pointed responses and his postgame interview the other day was out of step with most of those exchanges. I think McDavid feels the Oilers are being disrespected, counted out, and that may be part of the fuel that is the fire on ice currently being endured by the Los Angeles Kings.
There may be more fuel for the fire. Leon Draisaitl was inexplicably excluded from the Ted Lindsay finalists list published yesterday. Draisaitl already has a Lindsay, and the award is often given out to players who have yet to win. This goes back to Bobby Orr only getting one (it was called the Lester Pearson at the time). Then again, Connor McDavid has four. Any road, suspect this will be used as ammo by a team that uses ‘us v them’ effectively.
Tonight is a huge game. The Oilers have finally wrestled home-ice advantage from the Californians, and tonight is the chance to use that to the team’s advantage. Expect a hard fought game, expect the Kings to be better than ever, at least early, and remember nothing is guaranteed on NHL ice.
The change in weather from Games 1-2 through the rest of this series has been truly incredible. The Oilers have adjusted in specific and important areas (John Klingberg in, Josh Brown out, tweaks in outlet progression) and the Kings have not countered with a brand new plan.
Tonight, the Oilers will need another quality start from Calvin Pickard, who has been an absolute star in his three starts. The structure of the team defensively looks stronger too, and the secondary and tertiary scoring has been central to the plot.
The McDavid-Draisaitl-Bouchard magic will once again be central to the plot, but credit to this Oilers team for putting the pieces together. It arrived just in time, the club seemed late for the sky all down the line. At that last possible moment, the tumblers click, the engine roared, and these Oilers are tearing up the blacktop with miles and miles of open road. What a sweet ride Games 3-5. Game 6 tonight!
The 33 year-old journeyman Pickard lifetime playoff stats compared to Skinner.
4W-1L .908SV 2.46 average
19W-17L .889SV 3.00 average
Very small sample size yet I still wonder how many wins .54 goals a game gets you on those 17 losses of Skinners.
Tough to compare. Skinner has faced 3 cup winners during his 36 games. Huge fan of Pickard, hope he finishes this season with 17 career playoff wins 🙂
Skinner was clutch last year, I think we’ll see him again soon. I do wonder about lingering effects of concussion though… getting rest now will only help him long term as the Oilers go deeper into the postseason.
I am even more cautious about optimistic for tonight’s game than I was for game five. I would love nothing more than for the Oilers to surgically dismantle the Kings again but it’s fully within their wheelhouse to lay a stinker that puts everything about this team’s construction in question.
(I would also give this post a thumbs down)
What’s to downvote, it’s true
“There are some certainties in life: Death, taxes, and you being upset at the referee.”
Hey Knobby has a personality somewhere around there. And not making excuses or whining, unlike the guy across the way.
If they haven’t I wish they would hire Steve Valiquette Clear Sight Analytics. Luckily I caught him on Gregor. The main thing holding the team back is not finishing 5v5. It’s what makes them vulnerable the most out of anything
This team should be rolling teams like the 80’s Oilers many games, like the last one. It doesn’t have to do with defensive play, it’s about converting all of that possession and gaudy xGF into real goals. It’s largely to do with tactics and probably some player’s sticks.
Adam Oates is big on proper sticks which apparently many players don’t think about like they do their golf clubs. As I’ve said many times, Steve confirmed the majority of goals get scored in the top third of the net, the least where the Oilers like to shoot
He also had some very interesting points about defending as well they and the goalies would benefit from
Let them have it fellas, no mercy
Oilers are finally getting the 900 goaltending that everyone was saying if they had, they would steam roll the league.
It doesn’t hurt for sure. SV% is around .900, which means if you get 48 shots you should have at least 4 goals from that
If you watch Bouch last game on the wide-open setup from 97, he shot the puck exactly mid height. If that puck was top 1/3rd it would have been a goal.
Getting Kuemper moving side to side and then shooting high is the key.
The key apparently for most goalies
Steve V was saying the Blues have scored 8 goals on 9 shots over Helley’s glove
They almost all ‘seal’ the bottom of the net off. 5 hole scores, but he was saying if you are a little off it’s pads with a very low chance to score. Bar down or shoot for a rebound like Arvi did on Janmark’s goal, way higher percentages for both
I agree on the stick front – not only when it comes to choosing one’s weapon, but the tech and customization and fitting available isn’t within thousands of miles of what a golfer can access.
Changing that would help. If I owned a team it is one of the things I’d be spending money on.
Venturing around to find my son something that fits him best is far too limited as compared to setting up his clubs optimally.
Given sticks are so low tech comparatively as well. Steve V was talking about blade angle and not being able to raise the puck well enough. Oates is all about stick length and lie
As someone who can fire a puck into the low 70’s, I must confess that I’ve generally used Canadian Tire specials most of the time and recently switched to buying second hand 105 flex sticks on Sideline Swap.
As someone who coaches kids, I’m always on them to take it easy on their parents and go for lower priced sticks.
However, sticks are highly personal and some are meticulous with their taping, etc. I’m more of a Peter Stastny line of thought and will hold on to the darn things probably well beyond what one would call reasonable.
gonna go ahead and guess 3 LA Kings power plays in the first 15 minutes of the game.
/Dislike
I mean, I agree…
Not getting ahead of myself, but I’d like not nothing more than to see Perry telling Danault in the handshake line “Regards from the A team”
Or he could hit the media with some quotes
“I pity the fool that doubts the Oilers”
”There’s a plan in everything, kid, and I love it when a plan comes together”
Mike Tyson said something like …
Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.
Confident in the team, but also figured Colorado had the series wrapped after their 4-0 domination.
Pedal dowwwwwwwn tonight boys and finish off a team that’s gonna give you everything they got. Play DISCIPLINED.
Goilers! Clap Clap
It’s interesting, Toronto and Edmonton are essentially in the same spot (3-2 with game 6 going tonight) but the mood in the two cities couldn’t be more different.
Is “the problem is, you develop a past” an original LT quote, or LT quoting someone?
That.
I mean Toronto enters tonight on a 2 game losing streak after failing to close out the series twice, the Oilers enter tonight on a 3 game winning streak … Seems pretty clear why one fanbase is in a better head space than the other
Maple Laughs so not have great, recent history of being able to close out a series. In the last 3 years, the Oilers are 6-0 when given the opportunity.
Having outrageous expectations for a team with chronic holes probably doesn’t help
1) I expect LA will come out strong tonight, and they realize how lucky they were in to still be within reach for most of G5. They know they can’t bank on Kuemper to bail them out again. The Oilers have had trouble weathering the storm in the 1st this series when LA comes out strong, but if the Oilers can get through the first period tied or ahead, I think LA’s cooked.
2) I don’t suspect the Oilers will have difficulty starting on time and understand how important it is to end the series tonight. I’m hopeful that last year’s playoffs taught the core group some lessons and that they have that killer instinct to close out a series when they have the chance.
3) Pickard has steadily delivered average to marginally above-average goaltending with some timely saves and the Oilers are 3-0 with him in net. I do feel the team gets a big boost out of him making timely saves in big moments, and while I’m not normally one to read too much into the interpersonal dynamics on a team, you can tell that the team loves him as a teammate and has no issues going to war with him, no matter how many time Spec reminds him he’s a career backup.
4) I don’t want to get greedy, but seeing OTT, MIN, and COL all win tonight would be fantastic. The other WC teams beating each other up in 7 game series would be great, and OTT has the chance to do something really funny to the Leafs
5) Interesting to note that while most neutral pundits I saw were picking the Kings, betting markets all favored the Oilers. I’m increasingly starting to have more faith in the latter than the former for predicting future outcomes.
6) The Oilers have shown something in the last 100 minutes of hockey that I don’t think they showed all year. Thank god they found it!
7) 3 down 13 to go. Let’s make it 12! It’s gonna be a close game, I’ll say 4-2 Edmonton with an EN goal
Obviously I’m very confident. I have almost no fear the Oilers will be nervous like say the Leafs, but human nature is that one takes a bit of a breath after clawing all the way back. Look at game 7 vs Florida if one wants a reminder. That team also seemed inevitable but just couldn’t get up going against a stingy, trapping Panthers squad.
We must buzz the tower early and often.
Not the point of your post just don’t agree with the example.
They played well in game 7. 1 tipped/knuckle puck from outside was the difference but they certainly were going. That whole 3rd period involved Bob playing excellent.
xG was in their favour in all situations and especially 5v5:
xG – 2.39 to 2.19
xG 5v5 2.35 to 1.18
Go Oil, let them buzz.
With a long playoff run Perry has a chance to pass such big names like Guy Lafleur, Joe Thornton and Patrick Kane on the all time points list
He’s moving into the top 10 for playoff games tonight, will be tied with Trottier at 221 after game 6.
15 more and he hits Messier’s 236 for 3rd overall.
Morning skate lines per Tony B:
Drai/McDavid/Perry
Kane/Nuge/Hyman
Frederic/Henrique/Brown
Podz/Janmark/Arvidsson
Nurse/Bouch
Walman/Klingberg
Kulak/Emberson
Pickard
—————–
I think it would shocking if they started any different than they were rolled out last game given, well, the dominant performance for 60.
If anything, we could be surprised that Knob seems to be skating in the lines/pairings we are likely to see.
Has there been 2 games in a row this year where lines and pairings and goalie remained the same? I can’t recall if there was.. what a crazy year.
for all the change in the lines/pairings, it’s strange that “Nurse-Bouchard” appears to be the one (near-)constant since Ekholm’s injury given the results that pair was delivered
Enough with the over thinking run the sane 4 lines and let’s build cohesion among the lines.
Probably during their one prolonged good stretch earlier in the season but probably not recently.
Those are some nice looking lines. I would swap Nurse and Kulak around. Kulak and Bouch have very good numbers together. Nurse and Bouch do not…Eye test and hard stats.
Great Oiler win in Game 5. Now let’s finish off the Kings and get a bit of rest. Looking for the Oilers to start the game on time, and playing their game right from opening puck drop. Forecheck and backcheck hard!
Can’t wait!
Forecheck, backcheck, Paycheck, as they say.
A musical tribute to the LA Kings and their ‘band’ to be played tonight after La Bamba!
Chopin Funeral march harmonica
I would love to see them introduced tonight to perform the American anthem. It would be like Little Bill snagging the Duck of Death’s biographer. (Obviously it would be have to be a one night only engagement. They really are awful)
But as Ron McLean said ‘At least they are better than the King’s as they only suck half the time’.
Score the first goal, keep the place rocking, score 9 more.
Woot.
As well as we played last game it still only counts as one win. We need to keep our foot on the gas pedal L.A will be loose knowing it’s do or die. I do hope the coach keeps rolling the 4 lines and gets everyone involved early. I do think our physicality is wearing down Kempe-Kuznenko-Doughty-Mikey-Fiala.
I can’t imagine LA will be loose knowing it’s do or die.
Hillar: We’ll go back with the intention of playing the same game and get a different result.
Excellent.
Definition of insanity!
Same theory Canadians had for the election…
We don’t talk about politics here.
Got to love Hiller’s stubborn refusal to learn from his mistakes. Maybe this time he should double down and try to play the whole game with only 2 defensemen. Show those media folks with their rude questions that he knows best!
“We’re running the same lines and still going with 6 D, but instead of Spence, Kempe will be rotating into his spot. And to help give our bottom 3 some boost, Kempe will be rotating in for either Turcotte or Malott or Helenius. And if Kuemper has a bad game, we’ll have Kempe rotate into net. And, we told Byfield, if the Oilers pull their goalie, don’t hold onto the puck at all.”
LT: “Connor McDavid. He brings elite skills and can push the river all the way to the sea.”
As a fellow thalassophile I support this beautiful line, thank you good sir!
Looking for a big game from Klingberg (it is written now, this is the way), and I don’t think Kane is going to slow down now that he’s scored a couple and feeling it. That line has been great, big boy hockey, and his wrist sure looks healthy from some time ago.
Repeat any resemblance to the last game and this one is over with a ‘whooping’ on home ice and into the next round of this furious dance. Stay disciplined (this is the way).
Not only can Connor push the river to the sea, he can push it back up into the mountains from whence it came
Shades of Stan Weir! So it is written, so it is said….
Florida looks like an absolute wagon. Can easily see them repeating this year. Sigh.
They’re using pure thuggery right now and getting away with it for the most part. Should there be a SCF rematch it is near imperative to arrive as healthy as possible. The team will need to have their heads on a swivel to look out for the oncoming cheap play.
Let’s go through Vegas, Colorado and Florida for the cup. Revenge tour 2025.
Very fitting.
I kind of want that too, knowing it’s a lot to ask, while also knowing how timelessly epic that could be.
Nothing is guaranteed on NHL ice. That’s a fact.
Can the Oilers bring the same game as they did in game 5?
I think they can.
I would think the LA Kings will be a better team and provide more push back but, this Oilers team, with the injured players back and with full urgency two-ways, is a legit contender.
If they do, this series will be over tonight. Kuemper can’t stem the tide forever.
— If the team feels disrespected and using that as fuel that’s a great motivation tool to be sure.
LFGOILERS!!
#respect
LT, Love the cat pic. Our young one goes to bed early with my wife. Our old lady cat stays up late with Dad watching the games. LFG !!!!!
In Pickard we trust let’s end it tonight then kickback and watch Vegas duke it out in hopefully a 7th game back in Vegas.
What a game the other night. I kept waiting for the inevitable Kings push back and it just never came because the Oilers wouldn’t allow it. Put up another game like that tonight and it’s on to the second round.
Wouldn’t surprise me at all for Draisaitl to answer a question pregame that he doesn’t care about the Lindsey, the only trophy he cares about is the one the team wins in June. Then he’ll go out and score a couple goals including the winner in a big win for the Oilers.
Now I see he was officially nominated for the Hart. He’ll likely say the same thing about that trophy
Draisaitl was on with Freidman the other day and said the individual trophy he wants to win is the Selke. He alluded that he, and Connor, feel disrespected by all the people saying that they cannot play a 200′ game. Watch both of back check like demons tonight.
Question…
Did draisailt break the playoff point streak vs one team?
Broadcast wa ttalking about it in.. I think game 3??
I thought they said he was either behind gretz, or tied with gretz?
I miss Bruce… I believe they said Gretzky had 22 games and Draisaitl was at 17, but also believe that was before the win, so he could/should be at 18 games now.
He was a true Gem of a man.
Leon has recorded a point in 19 consecutive playoff games vs the Kings. This ties him with Gretzky (against the Flames) and Messier (against the Kings) for the longest such streak. A point tonight and the record is his. He won’t care about the record unless his point(s) helps the team eliminate the Kings.
There has been a total of five (5) Rd1 upsets the last three (3) seasons in the NHL playoffs. Interestingly enough, 4 of the 5 were accomplished in the losing team’s barn.
STL (D3) over MIN (D2) won in their rink – a 4-2 series win by closing out with 3-straight wins.
Oilers can 1-up that by winning tonight by going 4 straight! Now, going 4 straight wins does not happen often and I have not found an example of spotting the other team 2 wins then rolling off 4-in-a-row.
Oilers close in out tonight with an emphatic 5-2 win (ENG to seal it).
Well, let’s do four straight tonight. Practice for the next time we spot a team a 3-0 lead.
I am worried about this game (every game really). I don’t want to put my nerves through a game 7 this early in the playoffs. Let’s finish em tonight!
It wasn’t in the last three seasons, but the Oilers beat San Jose 4 straight after losing the first two in on the road in 2006.
The Raffi Torres nasty hit flipped the script on that series.
I truly think that the inconsistency of Oilers’ goaltending has skewed our perception of the position. Calvin Pickard is playing very well — he’s providing the quality of goaltending any NHL team requires to be successful.
But even in game five, a game that the CBC panel called a “whooping”, Pickard still had to make some quality saves. The expectation among some Oiler fans is than unless the scoresheet has zero HDSC then the leaned heavily on its goaltending to win.
PIckard has gone above and beyond expectations when he first signed here, a key component of the Oilers’ recent success and extreme value for what he’s getting paid. He was right to be annoyed by Spec’s questions after the game.
But he has not had to shine like a diamond for the OIlers to be successful.
Cautiously pessimistic again tonight, but hoping for a victory. I think the Oilers have re-learned (again) how to play defensively and how this unlocks their stars to counter-punch. I like the structure they used last game, especially how well the forwards came back to overwhelm the LA forecheck and turn it up ice again. Play that way tonight, and they will leave the Kings wondering what went wrong.
GOilers!
Just don’t turn off that switch.
Let’s beat these bums and have a nice cup of tea ☕
Yeah, put them out of their misery.
If they win tonight it might be a fLames kinda thing, the end of a non era
They just need to matcha the effort level from last game
Seems simple enough! Of course LA will have something to say about that… and then fail miserably.
send them back to americano with their tail between their legs.
Prospectsynchronicity!
Akey & Wakely, Attorneys at Law have a mother of a case ahead of them–pulling off a reverse sweep to save their season.
Oshawa seems to have Wakely wrapped around their finger as he has only an assist so far this series. Akey hasn’t exactly committed murder by numbers either as he remains stuck on five points (all apples) for the playoffs.
Do or die for Barrie tonight: win and continue the battle. Lose, and they may as well have tea in the Sahara.
Puck drops @ 5 p.m. Bindloss time.
Kudos to you,my friend. I was following the CFL draft on Riderfans the other day and saw how you stepped up to keep things going during a DDOS attack. You care about all the right teams! It seems you are everywhere.
Regards, Rider/Oiler fan in Merida, Yucatan…
Ernie Faganis is a true legend.
¡Gracias!
That was a decent draft by the Riders, especially the swing they took with Rourke in the third. Might not see him in Rider green this year, but LTFO if/when he comes north.