We all make bets in life, the safe word is choices but they’re bets all the same. Some of those shine for decades and represent the best of us, define us and our values. Some become so close to us we can’t possibly know where we end and the beautiful choices begin. Good bets become part of us and guide our way.
Sometimes in life good bets turn on a dime. Maybe a coach who wants to change the defensive structure because the guy who beat him owns a better mousetrap. People, I am telling you: Play to your strengths. If good humour and genuine goodness is your jam, then you be the best stand up comedian/person available to all around you. Don’t worry about what the other guy is doing.
There’s always going to be someone who can lift a truck over his head or haul a bus uphill on a city street. There’s always going to be some skinny guy who writes songs so lovely that all the beautiful women cry. You stay in your lane. You be you. God willing, a fair haired maiden will find you and you will shine together for decades.
Be the star of your own story, make it the grandest thing of all. Surely that’s why we’re all here.
THE ATHLETIC!
- New Lowetide: Do the Edmonton Oilers have enough value contracts this season?
- New DNB: Edmonton Oilers’ crisis shifts to embarrassment after loss to the Sharks
- Lowetide: What if the Edmonton Oilers end up in the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery?
- Lowetide: 6 ways the Edmonton Oilers can improve in November
- Lowetide: Oilers already leaning on a push from the AHL. Who could be next?
- Lowetide: Can Connor McDavid come from behind to win another Art Ross Trophy?
- Lowetide: Will Edmonton Oilers redeem themselves after baffling October?
- Lowetide: Can the Edmonton Oilers make room for Raphael Lavoie?
- DNB: Oilers rewarded for their season’s most complete game in Heritage Classic win
- Lowetide: Oilers top prospect Xavier Bourgault is spiking in an important area
- Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers’ injuries already a major story in 2023-24
- Lowetide: Can the Oilers count on any short-term help from AHL Bakersfield?
- Lowetide: Can defenceman Noel Hoefenmayer help the Oilers?
- DNB: Connor McDavid’s injury only adds to gloom for Oilers
- Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers’ third line showing promise but not scoring yet
- DNB: Oilers, in early-season disarray, left searching for answers: ‘It’s just unacceptable’
SMOKIN’ A JAY
In the coming hours, the Edmonton Oilers will fire Jay Woodcroft. It’s a mistake, but hell boys I don’t see how the management can do anything else. Ken Holland has drained the prospect pool, signed myriad men to long-term deals, sunk his battleship and spilled the wine. The chessboard mocks him this morning. His only move is to fire the coach. Daryl Katz could step in and fire Holland instead, but the reality of the situation is that tickets must be sold and winning has to be part of the next several months.
Save a miracle, it’s over. Connor McDavid is hurt. He came back too soon. Mattias Ekholm isn’t the player we saw in the spring. The hard work of backchecking and having your head on a swivel has been abandoned for hundreds of ‘also in photo’ moments across 200 feet of ice and heartbreak.
The hockey Gods have decided the Oilers path is not to Stanley, the road for this team is hockey hell. There is no choice but to reset for next season, but the signing of Leon Draisaitl (the highlight of next summer) is surely in jeopardy now.
This is especially galling for observers of the team, as the elite talent may be heading out of the city and leaving old men with big paychecks to wander and wither.
It should be remembered that the big move by management during this disastrous start was to have Ken Holland and Paul Coffey talk to the team.
This is, incredibly, the first post about the 2024 entry draft. It may not look like it, but it is.
Remember, be the hero of your own story. Shoot the moon whenever you can and make damn good and sure you experience all life has to offer. Don’t change who you are for anyone, let the one who sees you clearly find you in the clear light of day. Dance, for fuck sake. Even if you’re shitty. There’s a key for every lock, a rhyme for every reason.
Storms never last, hard times pass with the winds.
It will be a weird but interesting day on Sports 1440. Bets were made and now have to be fulfilled. WOW! I am glad I didn’t make any because that seemed like a sure thing. Steve Lansky, Tyler Yaremchuk and Declan Krueger’s “Declanations” all come your way starting at noon. Holy crap what a scene it’s been. You can reach me in the comments section, @Lowetide on twitter, or text us 1.833.401.1440 directly.
New for The Athletic: Do the Edmonton Oilers have enough value contracts this season?
https://theathletic.com/5042312/2023/11/10/edmonton-oilers-contracts-2023-value/
I believe Foegele is a value contract and is now the clear winner in that trade for Bear.
Over $2 million.
maybe we can pick up bear again for a bargain.
Haven’t we subjected Bear to enough?
Bear was very effective for the Canucks last year.
Best Fenwick percentage amongst D and 2nd best goal share after Hughes.
And he had long COVID.
He’s a player.
I think you hit the nail on the head with that last sentence. Bear was a hockey player.
Seems to me the Oilers have been drafting (Nurse, JP, McLeod, Holloway, Broberg) and acquiring (Foegele) big, fast “athletes”. And trying to turn them into hockey players.
It may explain some of the bonehead decisions and coverage issues we are witnessing every game.
Nailed it. For most of them
You were nailing Desharnais for a strong FF% and poor GF% earlier. What gives?
Nikita Zadorov has requested a trade from Calgary to Toronto shortly after the Leafs beat the Flames in a shootout.
He’s a wildcard, but this may stem back to his comments earlier in the week – didnt use the usual cliches, Put the team in a bad light. That’s going against current hockey culture. Guessing he got a wrist slap from management.
Makes sense.
Some of his team mates might also be miffed.
Yes they gave him the gears now he wants to run back to Brad.
Summarizing!
Copponi picked up a pair of assists.
Akey scored his 4th goal of the campaign.
Lachance and Mazura each had a helper.
Day had a better outing but still took the L, stopping 26 of 29 in a 3-2 loss.
Stonehouse and the Vermonters were held soupless.
In the NHL players do what they are told to
Players like Duo are different. Shouldn’t be. But the rest have no choice
So coaching matters
Im guessing the reason for no coaching change today is they want clarification on the Quenneville situation
Dare to dream
I’m guessing there is no clarification on the Quenneville situation, except him continuing to not being able to coach in the NHL, for a while still.
Akey opens the scoring with his fourth goal of the year, six minutes into the opening frame.
I’m concerned about Holloway’s “hands”. So many fumbled pucks. I keep hoping it will go away. Is it his wrist. btw he calls it his “bad hand”.
btw he calls it his “bad hand”.
Hmm….that reminds me of when post-injury Ryan Whitney referred to the “new normal.” I knew he’d never be the same, and he wasn’t.
I suspect Holloway will always have value, but it may be as a career 4th-liner.
If injury is the cause, this might actually redeem the scouts’ choice of Holloway over Mercer. Holloway scored at almost the same pace as Caufield in college. He was also dedicated enough to his team to play several playoff games after the injury, which might have compromised his NHL career. You can’t blame scouts for a later injury like this.
Of note, Mercer is off to a horrendous start this season, one point and -5 in his 12 games.
Of course, that doesn’t negate his production the last couple of seasons.
When no player on the team has hands I’ll wait to see
He’s not going to be Drai but he’s still useful and also affordable if he isn’t prolific
That’s how you build depth
You have to be at least a threat to score.
Yes but that is YTBD
LT touched on this in his post, but one thing that should really disturb Oiler fans is the fact that, in the process of the Oilers falling to dead freaking last in the entire league, the one and only notable action Management took was to demote Jack Campbell. And even that took far too long.
Justin Bourne, Sportsnet:
“every player can defend – it’s not some unique set of talents only special athletes have – and so it’s up to the coach to get those talented players to play defence. You get the skill, the coach shows them how to operate without the puck, you benefit from the skill at the offensive end.
The problem with this logic is that not every player is willing to adapt to a defence-and-team-first mindset, as much as it’s been preached. Not just now, but some players never get there. You can spend every practice leading horses to water, but they may choose to never drink.”
This approach to coaching talented players is a recipe for disaster and losses.
I agree, but you have to have a plan starting with the GM and the coach being aligned
They have hired the same coach 3 times now in different wrappers. None had the personality to get the team together
Holland wasn’t able to balance the team even if the players are marginally better. Holland will be gone. Maybe we see a better replacement but probably not. It will be OBC or nepotistic
I think given that the approach has not worked, repeatedly, it’s time for a different mindset
Good teams defend.
how so?
Like their livelihood depend on it. They take pride in shutting down teams like the Oilers.
Diablo, I was asking LMHF for clarification. lol not about your Good teams defend comment. I agree Good teams defend
Maybe it’s late and I’m tired, but what “approach” are you speaking of? Bulging Twine quoted Bourne’s opinion of defence play in relation to players. Besides “leading horses to water”, which I’m quite sure is a figurative reference, there doesn’t appear to be any approach offered. Am I missing something?
Year-to-date Stats:
CF%: 5-on-5 58%, All Situations 57.0%
FF%: 5-on-5 56.1%, All Situations 55.4%
SF%; 5-on-5 54.3%, All Situations 54.0%
xGF%: 5-on-5 57.6%, All Situations 55.3%
SCF%: 5-on-5 57.0%, All Situations 55.2%
HDCF%; 5-on-5 61.5%, All Situations 57.7%
HDSF%: 5-on-5 56.9%, All Situations 52.9%
PDO (All Situations): 0.934
Never get too high when things are going well. Never get too low when things are going poorly.
…and don’t make panic-driven decisions!
Good advice
I think the Oilers break stats. And their volume shooting is skewing things. The quality is not there and that is reflected in their offensive decline
And that nobody can get these guys to do anything consistently except make egregious mistakes
Edmonton has propelled 831 shots at the opposition net, while opposing teams have fired 626 towards the Edmonton net, a differential of +205 for shots at net.
Edmonton has 418 shots for and just 356 against, a +62 shots on net differential.
But when we look at Grade A shots, which go in about 25 per cent of the time, Edmonton has 170, the opposition 154, just a +16 differential.
When we dig deeper and look at the subset of most dangerous Grade A shots, the 5-alarmers that go in 33 per cent of the time, Edmonton has 74 and the opposition 84, a -10 differential for Edmonton.
https://edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/nhl/cult-of-hockey/doom-descends-upon-edmonton-oilers-who-are-out-of-step-with-nhl-trends
Combine this with the worst goaltending in the league and you have a last place team.
There are lies, damned lies, and statistics.
Sometimes the market can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent.
True but sometimes you shouldn’t be in the market
Tell that to the 2023 macro trader….
I wonder if they would try bringing Kemp up for Vinnie for a look see. Maybe OP has an opinion about Kemp
I think he may have more of an NHL tool kit than Vinnie
I’ve always like Phil Kemp – he’s much better with the puck than Vinny is. His lateral mobility could be an issue but he’s an elite defender at the AHL level, a huge leader on the team and guts guy.
Is his mobility better than Vinnie?
To my eye, Vinny was able to close gaps very quickly in the AHL because of his length but, with the added speed and skill in the NHL, he doesn’t have that ability and I think, yes, Kemp does move better – I’m not an expert on skating though.
Thanks OP
I think I would give it a shot
Thank you for your comments on Kemp. As many know, I am a family friend. I really want to see Phil Kemp play in the NHL. I would be so happy for him. His family would be thrilled!
Never bet against Mcdavid!
Folks, this team was the best team in the NHL from January to April 2023, better than the record-setting Bruins. The personnel on the team has barely changed since then. (Exchanging Yamamoto for Brown is not the difference between an .800 team and a .200 team.)
Something weird is going on behind the scenes, and the team has lost its confidence. Presumably the coach has to go. Maybe the GM too. We’ve got the pieces, but they just need to be put together.
I’m not sure if that’s possible. This team always seems to be less than the sum of its parts. But I’m pretty sure it’s impossible under Woody right now. And this ship needs to be turned around right now.
Friedman’s 32 thought was very Oilers centric. He’s very good at taking it from many different angles.
It sure made the Oiler fan in me want to chug bleach.
If winning a game in Seattle “saves” Woody’s job, the organization is doing it wrong. Ship has sailed. Hopefully Rishaug’s report of Woodcroft coaching Saturday night is just giving the necessary time for Gallant to sign in wet ink.
Man. I was all about Gallant the moment he was punted by the Knights. They never should have gone with Tippett.
I wonder if Holland spoke to Cassidy, who seems to have been hired by Vegas before Woody was given the 3 year
Wasn’t it the same with Tippett? There was a whole “dead man walking” period to his tenure. Holland doesn’t act quickly.
Detroit, a bottom feeder, fires Holland. Who thought, “gee let’s hire this guy to be our gm” ?
In 17-18, Tyler Dellow wrote an article in the athletic that did a deep dive on Lucic’s collapse of even strength rush offence.
I’d love something like that type of team analysis for the oilers 23-24 season. I don’t see anyone doing that at the Althletic. Normally you’d see Dom doing that or even LT talking about it here but I don’t see it. Are the analytics missing something or are we just ignoring them selectively this year?
I still just can’t get my head around how this team can be this bad.
I believe what the analytics are telling us. This is a good team that lost its confidence. They can still turn it around but it needs to start tomorrow.
This is a good team that lost its confidence.
I think that’s the essence of it. That’s why Woody needs to go, fairly or unfairly. The last three games have been the most inexcusable and deflating losses that I can remember. They won’t turn it around under Woody.
There was a lot from last season that was unsustainable.
It starts with the PP and I never agreed with those that were so sure the best PP season of all time was repeatable.
Partly due to the PP, it seemed pretty obvious that Nuge and Hyman would see a drop in production.
I was also pretty sure that McDavid and Drai would see a drop in production – McDavid had one of the best offensive production seasons in history and I couldn’t believe how many thought he was going to blow past that.
On the other hand one would expect continued progression up from the likes of McLeod, Holloway, Broberg and Skinner and bounce-back to historic norms from the likes of Campbell and Kane.
The reasonable progression down has all happened but none of the reasonable progression up.
I was with you on all of these predictions, wish I had posted the evidence at the time.
It’s been bad luck all around.
So Steve Lanksy on Lowetide’s show outright states that the media is to blame for the Oilers’ collapse since the media stated that McDavid is generational too early? According to Steve, McDavid and Draisaitl are not actually that good, since they “haven’t won anything?” Yes, he actually said this. Is Steve serious, or does he just struggle with concepts like thinking and putting coherent thoughts together?
News flash, McDavid is currently hurt, and the fact he hasn’t won a cup is a reflection of the terrible organization around him, not him and Draisaitl personally. I don’t know how LT can sit there and politely let his guest go off on such an idiotic rant like that. You are a patient man, LT.
Between throwing insults at people you disagree with and using the popular term “News flash”, my guess is you struggle having conversations with other humans.
Wait . . . didn’t you just throw an insult at someone you disagree with?
Bring it on.
I stated my conclusion based on a fact. The person in question shouldn’t be insulted if it’s the truth. If I am wrong, then that person would’ve long ago edited out the insults in the prior comment.
I heard that to while having my lunch. Wasn’t cool to hear, but there’s an inkling of truth to that, but just an inkling.
I’m hoping that McDavid and Drai don’t join the list of the Gilbert Perrault and Marcel Dionne’s of the world, who were great players, but didn’t win a cup due to lack of talent surrounding them.
LT commented that the Oilers might be reminiscent of the early ’70s Hawks and Rangers teams who were good teams, but not great teams.
The most important thing that is going to happen is who becomes the next GM
If they can’t run with the likes of MacCrimmon that very well could happen, a GOAT player and nothing to show for it
This is not a big fix. But mid tier, OBC, no experience is not going to cut it. Time for modern things for the Oilers and us, a Sather like hand on the rudder and his aggressive acumen, forward thinking, a rebirth of the times that were golden
And there should be some hard decisions taken that some fans won’t like, maybe even players, but it’s not summer hockey. Play with your buddies then. Everyone will feel better with a Cup ring
The team is a mess with Woody by not replacing him means were tanking early. I expect to see Connor or Ekholm hit IR once we lose the next couple of games. Holland has ended up being the worst Oilers G.M ever 8 wins away from a Cup with peak Crosby and Malkin is depressing. Maggie the Monkey could of drafted better than Holland who’ll end up going back to Detroit with cushy job. Kenny is leaving our prospect pool the worst in the N.H.L while having many contracts that may not age well at all. Coffey and Jackson will get this franchise back in order.
Young man: could have or could’ve, not could of. I beg you.
I’m willing to overlook an incorrectly used your, but for the love of Gord: are ≠ or.
Not Coffee. Zero experience
Coffee, heh heh
Holland worst Oilers GM ever?
Peter Chiarelli says hi 🙂
He was terrible but I’m not sure bad. Who can tell what was him and what was doing what he was told to
A lot of calls from inside the house methinks, and probably some dinkish moves that were mouthing what Gallant was saying in the clip posted here today
Mistakes are compounded because of teammates not supporting and/or making their own mistakes.
Yes, I know, Nurse’s play on the blueline was a bad mistake and led to a goal against, however, if he has the requisite forward support, he has cover and it likely turns in to a nothing play. I mean, its not like it was a quick strike bobble that went the other way (like McDavid’s) – it turned in to a battle and there was a good 2-3 seconds for a forward to recognize and get back in support – they didn’t (I believe Kane was the high forward that should have supported).
Ceci blew the play. When he sees that Nurse is being trapped, he has to start retreating or provide on outlet option for Nurse. He did neither. He skated as far away from Nurse as possible, to the other side boards just inside the blue line.
Ceci had a good first year with the org, and the last season + 12 has been mostly horrid.
Holland’s bar for what a good player is you can’t limbo under
Although I think Brown is a good player, if he’s not broken
So maybe that bar was too low as well
Oilers content on Puckdoku today.
It’s a fun grid to try to pick all EDM alumni.
Final score today, 7.
That was a fun one! I went with Gélinas, Samsonov, and Oates.
Fun fact: Sergei Fedorov didn’t score 1200pts?!
Thanks for your insight LT. IT always snaps me back into reality and not just go off in here like I tend to do on social media.
The whole idea of staying in your lane and do your own thing has really rung true for me this season, in terms of watching this hockey team and in my return back behind the bench. I haven’t seriously coached this much in close to twenty years. Yes, I had a spell 10-11 years ago where I coached midget (oops, U-17) house but it was a league where they just played games and no practices. Basically a glorified teenage sitter. I hated it because my favorite part of coaching is the teaching aspect of it.
I surprisingly got back into coaching this year as my daughter decided she wanted to play and she wanted me to coach. It has been a lot of fun, but lots has changed. Electronic game sheets, coaching courses online, the strong growth of female hockey, apps that replace paper schedules, and cyber bullying. Some of it makes my life easier to plan practices and draw up my gamebooks and team systems for my players, but I still basically have the same beliefs about my coaching; keep it fair, keep it simple, and most of all, keep it fun. I don’t stray from that no matter if I’m coaching recreational hockey, or high performance.
My biggest struggle this season has been with my division coordinator at U-13. I have another coordinator for female hockey, but because there is only one female team in U-13, we fall under that coordinator. I’ve butted heads numerous times with the U-13 coordinator because he seems insistent on changing the way I coach. If you’ve ever seen the movie Gran Torino, I play the part of Walt Kowalski while he plays the part of Father Janovich. He sends all the coaches weekly practice plans and I pointed out on one of them that there was hitting (not allowed in recreational hockey), at which point he went into a tirade about parents complaining about kids standing around. Quite comical actually.
Anyway, where does this long winded post go? As a coach, who lost a provincial semi-final by a score of 10-0, I refused to change my style. I learned from it, beat myself up about it, adjusted slightly, but never overly changed my style. U-13 is the same in pretty much every rink the world over. Yes, there are skill differences, but the developmental phases of the Long Term Athlete Development (physical, emotional, cognitive) are the same in Prince George in Kin 3 as they are at Ejedahls Arena in Leksand Sweden. Not every player is going to like you, not everyone parent will buy in, not every association executive will agree with you, but that’s ok. You need to be true to yourself and work with what you believe in.
I think that’s where Woodcroft has gone wrong. I don’t think he is being true to what made him a success to get an NHL job. He developed some nice young players and ran some interesting line combinations and rode the tails of his two superstars. It’s a far change from where this team is now. The team is not good enough when Woodcroft got here and he made true with his promise to change things, but he has gotten away from that.
Combine that with Holland’s horrible inaction and lack of decent moves, and it does not end well for both of them.
Since we like math, how many Oiler internet jokes/memes/insults have you fielded today?
I am at 3 today, (which is less than expected by noon) and about 10 for the week. Hang in there everyone!
Like Vegas did last spring – teams are stuffing 5 guys into the home plate area.
So, they will give you the perimeter and the muffin shots from the outside/ point.
( Ekholm had 15 of these attempts last night I think from from 60 ft away)
Still see some people putting notches on their belt for all the moral victories.
Generating offence – at 5 on 5 – against this tactic has always been troublesome for us.
We need a new coach. With new ideas and a new motivational voice to help us get over this hump.
This team is not exactly built for this hard driving – crash the Homeplate – and pay a physical price for garbage goals type hockey though.
Hit the nail on the head. It was and has been successful since Mclelland used it with LA and gave us fits. Teams copying the playbook. Oilers could still score off the rush and PP.
ya, and too many of Ekholms shots missed the net, generating zero chaos
You know how you beat that? By being a threat off the rush.
You know how you to ensure you are never a threat off the rush? A zone D that turns a fast team stationary.
Bruce McCurdy with an analysis.
https://edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/nhl/cult-of-hockey/doom-descends-upon-edmonton-oilers-who-are-out-of-step-with-nhl-trends
Bruce posed this question in the article: “One question is whether or not the Oilers would go with more of a firewagon coach or one who specializes in parking the bus tactics. “
I wonder what sort of coach Gallant is? What about other names that are bandied about?
I think this is right on the money as well. I see so many shots from the point on this oilers team. They try to break through the home plate defence and check down to the point shot on the regular.
They are coached like this, to look for the skill play and back door tapin. They are also pretty good at it, when it works, we see magic from this team.
I think they need to add surprise back into their offence. So if teams are clogging the home plate- what do you do? I’m not a hockey strategist so I don’t have great ideas. It makes me think opposing teams shouldn’t be breaking out as well against the oilers if they are starting from deep in their own zone. The oilers need to exploit this to allow them to play the way they want. As pucks are turned over in the home plate area, aggressively get back and cause havoc for their forwards breaking out. That should result in turnovers and they have to be quick strike when they turn the puck over. They need to surprise teams more not hold the puck for an eternity waiting for the perfect chance that will never arrive.
It’s a problem for any team. Woody hasn’t brought in any offensive tactics except cycle until you can’t feel your face and back to the point for shots, with no one consistently going for tips, deflections and screens. Or anyone moving into holes in the slot and being set up
Not that many of them shoot well enough to score anyways
You have to purposefully set up plays to the slot. Boston has no problem playing stifling D and creating off the cycle. I think this offensive scheme is rehashed McLellan, which is volume shooting leads to chances. Snore
Rickiebear was unjustly ridiculed by a few posters on this forum for the home plate analyzing and theory.
His theory.
Sure.
Picking on eccentric individuals that can’t defend themselves is sad.
If I recall correctly, Ricki wasn’t criticized for talking about how it’s bad for opposing offenseman to be able to sit in the home plate area. He was criticized for valuing defenseman above all who were able to reduce chances from that area, even if it meant that defenseman couldn’t skate, or pass, or shoot. And in his eyes, defenseman who weren’t always sitting in that homeplate area because they were able to skate with the puck, pass, or score goals, were considered rovers and therefore, not good defenseman. Which caused people to rightly point out that a team doesn’t need to defend their homeplate area as much or as often, if the “rover defenseman” help their team keep possession of the puck and don’t allow the other team to gain possession of the puck.
As a reminder, Ricki’s analysis would have had the Oilers playing Kris Russel over Darnell Nurse or pre-injury Klefbom.
Fistric!
Gravel!
It is stunning the way this season has played out. All the math says the oilers should be winning. They are at the top of the league in all advanced stats but their PDO is at the bottom with the flames and Sharks.
They are in a spiral now and eventually even the advanced stats will petter out as they lose motivation.
I don’t think this team is broken but you can’t win when mcdavid and draisaitl aren’t scoring and still give up more than what little they put up. That and the goalies let in every HD shot against.
I don’t understand why the talk is that Mcdavid and Draisaitl deserve better. They are part of the problem right now. Man up.
How many truly 10 bell or uncontested looks have the Oilers had in the last month, though?
( at evens)
Quality vs Quantity is a thing.
Which is why we keep thinking we are seeing Vezina candidates every night….
The quality the Oil give up is not a HDSC. It’s a certain GA
I don’t agree. Every team gives those up. See the first period of the Canucks game. That period isn’t even a subject of conversation. Oil would normally hang 4-5 on those 40 shots last night.
I think the everything is going wrong all at once.
Multiple uncontested attempts allowed each game….its actually incredible.
They sure talk a lot about preventing them though….
They aren’t finishing. I saw lots of good looks that either hit someone in front or the shot was weak. To me their confidence with the puck is completely shattered right now.
Last year, they win that game and probably beat Canucks 2/3.
Okay, I guess we are seeing the game a bit differently.
I don’t see many breakaways or uncontested looks or rush chances even being generated this year. ( Honestly, I think Warren Foegele might be responsible for most of what little we have seen here )
To be sure, we have been unlucky don’t get me wrong…..we were due for a few wins along the way. ( 2nd Vancouver game etc )
Eichel is just a another guy in Vegas. Play a system. Play as a team. Play everybody. Make sure everyone contributes.
Gretzky’s and Brady’s success was because they were just another guy. They understood that there needed to be a team playing as a team.
When one is hogging all two minutes of every powerplay, are you playing as a team? When one lacks shift length discipline, are you playing as a team?
The team will win when they stop relying on the heroics of McDavid and Draisaitl.
I agree with all the above. The players and coaches like to say hockey is the ultimate team sport, yet there is a class structure that is evident with the Oilers. If the coaches and GM’s are making decisions based partly on ‘How will the big 3 (McDavid, Draisaitl and Nurse) respond?’ – this team will never have success. The high avg TOI is a huge red flag, which the trainers, agents, players and management should be complaining about. It makes no sense from a sport science perspective. Isn’t that part of Jeff Jackson’s value system?
This is why I think they need a stronger bigger personality at the helm
One that has a proven record and commands respect, and won’t take shit from anybody
And is still a player’s coach. Tocchet is that for the Dys. Cassidy came into an easy situation but he’s like that. Quenneville. Laviolette. It works, and everyone is happier winning and playing respectable hockey, instead of feeling like a failure and losing
It’s been 4 years but things have played out just like the people who thought Holland was stale and dusty said they would
The cap issues, bad contracts, loyalty contracts, mostly mediocre player acquisitions, weak deal making, overly conservative
I hope the owner is done with OBC and wants some of what the best US owners create
Ryan Rishaug
My sense is there won’t be any movement on the coaching front today with the Oilers.
I’m not a fan of this expression, but for the Oilers it is apt:
The vibes are bad.
Connor and Leon were making so many poor luck decisions yesterday. Completely lost mentally.
Drai looked like he was going to burst into tears post game.
This is what physical and mental exhaustion looks like. Burn out.
I’ve had people close to me develop depression, and a common descriptor is a cloud hanging over you.
There is a cloud over this team. Bad juju.
They don’t need a new coach; they may need an exorcism. Or the Dalai Lama.
Nailed it again.
I mean it is heartbreaking.
I usually don’t post but I follow this blog every day. In dark times (as these most certainly are), the ability to vent and share the grief is incredibly helpful. Great group of fans here for the most part, and we deserve better than whatever this inexplicable gut punch is. A few scattered thoughts:
1) The low shooting percentage is partially luck– we have been devastated by obvious bad bounces, but also the subtle little shot blocks or goal mouth scrambles where sometimes the puck will find a way in just have NOT gone that way, which is obviously frustrating as hell to the players.
2) The lack of offense is more than luck and running into Hasek night after night. The entire league seems to have figured out how to frustrate us. Maybe Vegas really did show them the light… but this then drives the point home that the coaching staff needs to be axed. If even the 32nd ranked team can “have the book on you” and execute it to starve your star players of the clean looks they need to bury the puck, then your coaching staff is not adapting at all. If other teams can figure us out, we should be able to figure them out. We are, after all, a “team in the National Hockey League.”
3) I’m actually getting pissed off at all the media out there saying McDrai “deserve better.” They have both been putrid this season and contributed to this. Mcdavid’s hands and decision making have been AHL level since game 1 this year, and don’t look to be due to a torso injury to me. The game he got injured against Wpg, he was terrible prior to the injury in question, and it was his hands and execution that were off. He looked fine in preseason in that regard, but from game one he has not only looked human, but a very average human.
4) If you analyze our downfall and why the Oilers always revert to laughing stocks, a huge factor is lack of creativity in trades. Watching other teams make decisive moves (whether they work out or not), utilizing cap space or packaging the right assets to find useful players getting squeezed off other teams, we just never seem to think outside the box. Perhaps even the bigger issue is that we get married to our useful assets until they’ve devalued to nothing, rather than occasionally “trading up” while they have value. Yamamoto and Puljujarvi are great examples; by the time we move on from the player, he’s lost all potential attractiveness on the market to yield a worthwhile return. Other teams are happy to move their former high picks unless they are can’t miss home runs. Holloway and Broberg are heading down this path now, and I’m sure Bourgault will follow.
5) Thanks LT for your skill at being the voice of reason.
6) I think Drai might get in a legit physical altercation with a reporter by the time he eventually leaves the Oilers.
Why you heff be so pissy, Leon?
Any obituary on this season’s Oilers will include system changes, goaltending, mental mistakes, etc.
However, we are also seeing a stretch in which the best player in the world is scoring at around 1.5 EVP/60 and is at a sub 40 goal for percentage.
That’s the greatest player in the world going to (maybe) struggling third liner.
Wow.
100%.
Hard to accurately assess the coach and systems when McD has been brutal and the goalies have been abysmal.
It is really the nightmare scenario.
The coach isn’t helping McDavid by not deploying the roster and ice time appropriately.
On the rumoured goaltender trade, the answer has to be Jake Allen. The Habs are ready to move forward with Montembeault and Primeau.
A reasonable trade at this juncture might look like: Ryan McLeod, Brett Kulak, Xavier Bourgault, maybe a 2nd or 3rd to Montreal for Jake Allen (w retention) and Sean Monahan.
I could see Montreal having an appetite for McLeod as they’re stocking up on players in that age range who haven’t lived up to their potential. Bourgault has obvious appeal to them as well.
Jake’s next birthday will be his 34th.
Unsure if Holland should be allowed to sacrifice any more of our future….
JAKE ALLEN – Career .909SV%.
so on Edmonton that equates too …..
.828SV% 🙂
Prospectorasm!
The full octet of NA amateurs is on the go this eve.
The House of Stone’s seven-game point streak ended last time out; see if he begins another.
Day got lit up a couple nights ago. Shall a rebound occur?
Barrie (Akey) @ 5 p.m.
Ottawa (Stonehouse) @ 5 p.m.
Vermont (Münzenberger, Määttä) @ 5 p.m.
St. Lawrence (Mazura) @ 5 p.m.
Merrimack (Copponi) @ 5 p.m.
Boston University (Lachance) @ 5:15 p.m.
Flint (Day) @ 5:30 p.m.
All times, at all times, are Alsike time.
Thank god I have not had time to watch a single game yet this season.
I think there is a real chance we are seeing the implosion and end of the McDrai era in Edmonton.
70 games left
Need to win 44 of them. It’s possible.
They are 8 points out of a wildcard. IF they get ‘er going that is not a hill too far
New coach bounce please
my thought. anything to break the inertia. after that there might be a chance.
Where’s O.P?
The Oilers inability to score is just as much of an issue as their inability to keep the puck out of the net.
Their ridiculously low shooting percentage will revert back up, of course, but its more than just bad luck and bad finishers (and good finishers in slumps).
That is true but it’s tactics that are suppressing 5v5 as well
Yes. The other teams have figured it out and are forcing this butter soft team to shoot from the perimeter and most shots from this distance are going into the bread basket. Until there is some tenacity in front of the net and in the slot, the low shooting percentage is likely to continue.
Las Vegas template being used.
Ekholm must have had 15 shots from Denver, CO last night…
Muffins from a far are a feature of our team…this will impress ( and has) a lot of people around here.
Yep, very very few high quality chances being generated here.
No. Everyone has studied the Jets playoff tapes and the Vegas playoff tapes.
The Sharks travel to Vegas for a back to back.
Betting odds on the game are the highest I’ve ever seen.
Vegas -550 on Draft Kings.
Spector thinks Gulatzan is the likely choice
That will be a very hard decision for me to overcome. That is close to a deal breaker
I’ll take Gallant and Huddy as D coach. And someone with some creativity for O coach, you have a GOAT on the team for crying out loud, screw old timey
I know Huddy is retired, but he lives in town right? Might be tempting for him
Gerard Gallant for HC and Adam Oates for the O and PP, with Todd Nelson for D (who would take over for Gallant in year three when his shelf life expires).
Does Nelson know how to coach D? I know Huddy does and was excellent
He was responsible for the D in DAL, was on the bench when they went to the final.
Would he come with Khudobin on a heater?
Just won *another* championship in the AHL last year with Hershey.
I have seen worse resumes get head coaching gigs in the NHL.
Who knows?
Maybe his defensive zone systems would enable the team to ignite a marginal goalie onto a similar heater.
He’s done more with less before.
Shoulda never let Huddy go. was a mistake from day one and I like to speculate what his impact would have been on EDM’s D prospects, most of whom are now flawed, failing, or paid more than they’re worth because can’t actually defend.
Ryan Rishaug
@TSNRyanRishaug
My sense is there won’t be any movement on the coaching front today with the Oilers.
Negotiating with Gallant takes time….Gerard wants some term
Give him term. Holland comes off the books and the next guy isn’t getting 5M, Woody can’t be making that much and is only an extra year, so if you have to can him or want somebody else just eat it
Ryan Rishaug
@TSNRyanRishaug
·
7m
Further to this, I’d expect Woodcroft to be behind the bench for Saturdays game. All things will be evaluated after this road trip.
There’d be nothing more Oilers than squeaking out a win at Seattle and deciding, solely based on that, that it’s unquestionable evidence that the status quo is working.
Because Oilers
This team ain’t winning in Seattle.
This is the slowest bandaid rip-off pain
I know it’s over and everything, but wouldn’t it be sort of Oilers to have this turn into a miracle comeback season? Or at the least a miracle comeback season that comes up a point shy of the playoffs on the last day on a disallowed goal or something.
This team remains a mystery but they are certainly capable of a big run.
I’m still considering the playoff chances at 50-60%, but that could nosedive below 20% with another 2 weeks of the same old.
I think because expectations were so high, people aren’t prepared to see this team make a push for the playoffs. That it remains possible sort of belies the vast feeling of betrayal. Playoffs remain very possible and should remain the objective.
I think they will fire Woodcroft but I hope they don’t. Doesn’t solve anything. They’ve burned through two contracts of two of the best players in the game with little to show for it. Years of mistakes can’t be fixed ad hock by each new manager but that’s what they hoped to do. And here we are, they may fire him but it doesn’t change what ales them on the ice. It may be as simple as this team realizing with the same dismal goaltending and lackluster defence there is no chance of winning with an injured Mcdavid. Is that what sewered them? Who knows. But its will be a miracle if they somehow salvage this season and things don’t look better going into next season or the one after.
What a goddam beautiful post. Thank you spirit guide.
Just what the doctor ordered. Hire the man.
He is like opposite Woody
Oozing piss and vinegar.
Oh LT! Made me laugh out loud at work 🙂
Thanks for laugh, now I will read all the comments and probably laugh some more (or cry).
Dark days in Oiler land. I never imagined this team could be here.
Anyone who thinks that Holland is getting fired in his retirement year hasn’t been paying attention to how the Oilers have operated for the past 20 years. They would never publicly embarrass an old hockey guy like him, no matter the consequences.
Best we can hope for is behind the scenes he no longer has final say on any roster decisions.
To those that don’t think firing the coach is the right move, how many coaches have good organizations like Vegas and Boston gone through the past few years?
Vegas fired a better coach than Woody to get a guy they liked more
Oilers fired Krueger and hired Eakins
Exactly!
?
Friedman reporting that oilers were close to a trade on Wednesday for a goalie.
I hope that the first round pick was not in play
What’s the 1st round pick going to do? The prospect cupboard is down to the cans of green beans and pumpkin pie filling that Grandma brought by 10 Thanksgivings ago. One player isn’t going to change that. This team cannot go into rebuild mode.
If Kenny Holland still allowed to make decisions…..future is of no consequence to him.
It’s a disaster. But I’m not as down as many. I watch the games as a fan and my life goes on.
I feel for the players who are going through hell here. They would win if they could. They can’t. And they can’t figure out why.
Anyone ready for the trap yet? Simplify the game and deploy it immediately. Defence first!
I told a buddy a while back that we needed Jacques Lemaire, and I’d take either the coach or the player.
Well, Jacques is 78 now, but I bet he can still wheel!
I am one of, if not the, most cynical poster here.
However, I am truly shocked at last night.
Never been a Woody fan as everyone knows…but this is such an epic fail on so many
different levels besides Woody. We need a new coach for sure, but there is waaaay too
much blame to go around to hang this – solely- on the coach.
Example #21,0003:
McDavid with a truly horrific give away at the blue line leading to a breakaway….and is unable to catch the Barracuda player?
Example: # 34,433:
Leon looks like he Lauri Korpikoski handling the puck last night. So much so even Louie felt compelled to mention it.
Just such truly bad hockey being played…truly hard to fathom.
— I might be a close 2nd on cynicicism!
— while no one saw this start, bringing back the whole band and thinking last year weak goalering would be fine without even bringing PTO goalie : these are things that loser organizations do.
— Make no mistake this is a loser organization…
I am legitimately concerned if this team does not turn the ship around.
If you can’t win with 2 Gods – *when* can you win?
Neither of them playing at anything near god-like level is, well, a bit part of the problem.
Whatever reason(s) mitigate the above does not take away from the truth of the statement regarding them not playing to expected, or established, levels – not even close.
Fully agree.