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Oilers » Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25)

Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25) [message #828027]	Sun, 10 December 2023 16:30

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Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25) [message #828028 is a reply to message #828027 ]	Sun, 10 December 2023 16:37

tardigrade81
Messages: 2217
Registered: November 2022
Location: Regina, Saskatchewan

2 Cups

7 straight!!

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Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25) [message #828029 is a reply to message #828027 ]	Sun, 10 December 2023 16:39

NetBOG
Messages: 2939
Registered: January 2006
Location: Parts Unknown

2 Cups

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/dc/df/5b/dcdf5b42acb95fa3551faa23a2f1e9e4.jpg

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Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25) [message #828030 is a reply to message #828027 ]	Sun, 10 December 2023 16:41

inverno76
Messages: 2336
Registered: September 2005
Location: Prince Albert, Saskatchew...

2 Cups

Jack Campbell can walk his cat in Bakersfield for as long as it takes to get rid of that bad contract. More than comfortable enough with Pickard as our backup.

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Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25) [message #828031 is a reply to message #828027 ]	Sun, 10 December 2023 16:49

K.McC#24
Messages: 2834
Registered: March 2004
Location: ALBERTA

2 Cups

Let the good times roll, Ed!

Shout out to Calvin Pickard for an excellent start. Connor McDavid with a very physical game.

Just a good all around game today. The score flattered NJ, I thought.

.500, out of the ditch, missed the approach and the culvert, back on the road. Front loaded the wins they needed, now keep going and pass the pretenders.

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Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25) [message #828032 is a reply to message #828031 ]	Sun, 10 December 2023 16:57

Kr55
Messages: 10724
Registered: May 2002
Location: Edmonton

6 Cups

K.McC#24 wrote on Sun, 10 December 2023 16:49

3 points out of a wildcard spot with 2 games in hand. Quite a recovery!

Jobs not done yet of course. Would be great if the Canucks can get back to being consistently mediocre and open up a top 3 division spot for us too! Not sure if I would expect Vegas or LA to drop off, but the Canucks could fall back quite a bit still after their insanely lucky start.

"We need to get better immediately. That starts today"
- Lowe, 2013

"Next year I would forecast as another developmental year"
- MacT, 2015

5 x $5,000,000

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Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25) [message #828033 is a reply to message #828027 ]	Sun, 10 December 2023 16:59

smyth260
Messages: 1071
Registered: November 2007

1 Cup

The encouraging thing about this streak is there isn’t any masking going on that we have seen in previous seasons.

It’s not just 97/29, it’s not just PP scoring, goalies are playing well but the team is outshooting the other guy consistently. Just good hockey all around.

Clean house or bust

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Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25) [message #828034 is a reply to message #828033 ]	Sun, 10 December 2023 17:08

NZ Oiler Fan
Messages: 1184
Registered: October 2006
Location: Kensington, PEI

1 Cup

Most important thing is that win bumps us above the stupid Flames, and we still have 2 games in hand over them.

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Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25) [message #828035 is a reply to message #828027 ]	Sun, 10 December 2023 17:31

Suomalainen
Messages: 899
Registered: May 2002
Location: Boulder, CO

No Cups

That was a nice way to spend a winter afternoon in the house.

97.

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Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25) [message #828036 is a reply to message #828035 ]	Sun, 10 December 2023 19:14

nullterm
Messages: 1028
Registered: July 2007
Location: Port Moody, BC

1 Cup

Throw contracts aside, do you ride Skinner-Pickard the rest of the season? If you want to win, you ride what works with the team you have.

To me Campbell experiment stays in the AHL until he earns his way back… which seems increasingly less likely as he struggles there too.

Illegitimi non carborundum.

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Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25) [message #828037 is a reply to message #828036 ]	Sun, 10 December 2023 20:51

smyth260
Messages: 1071
Registered: November 2007

1 Cup

I would say absolutely not. Playing Skinner for 90% of games is not a long term solution.

If I was the Oilers I call up Rodrigue and send down Pickard, and keep on the search for a starting or 1B goalie.

Clean house or bust

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Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25) [message #828038 is a reply to message #828027 ]	Sun, 10 December 2023 20:57

NCREDiBLE
Messages: 256
Registered: February 2007
Location: Cold Lake, AB

No Cups

Glad to see Pickard making the best of his moment!
I thought he looked great his last bit in net and against New Jersey too!

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Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25) [message #828039 is a reply to message #828037 ]	Sun, 10 December 2023 21:01

inverno76
Messages: 2336
Registered: September 2005
Location: Prince Albert, Saskatchew...

2 Cups

smyth260 wrote on Sun, 10 December 2023 20:51

Why not give Pickard a few more starts before selling him down the river? I think a goalie search needs to continue, but it can wait until January.

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Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25) [message #828040 is a reply to message #828037 ]	Sun, 10 December 2023 21:28

Skoobz
Messages: 334
Registered: January 2006

No Cups

smyth260 wrote on Sun, 10 December 2023 20:51

I can’t think of a single reason that it would be better to have Rodrigue backing up Skinner than Pickard right now. Probably the highest pressure goalie situation in the league - I don’t want a potential future starter going through this meat grinder as a rookie

"[It was] really cool to throw on the Oilers gear, the gear that I want to play the rest of my life wearing. It was pretty cool to put it on. With all the history, it was a lot of fun." - Connor McDavid, July 1, 2015

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Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25) [message #828041 is a reply to message #828040 ]	Sun, 10 December 2023 22:30

smyth260
Messages: 1071
Registered: November 2007

1 Cup

Pickard’s last NHL season where he was over .900 was 2016-17. That’s your reason. He’s 31 and not an NHL goalie. I predict going forward this will burn us by overplaying Skinner (because even the Oilers know he’s not an NHL goalie) or we will lose the starts he does get (god forbid Skinner get injured).

Rodrigue is 23, is tracking well, and actually might be an NHL goalie.

There is no option here to take the long term view on a prospect. If they can help the team be better, call them up. Failure is not an option, and while the winning streak was very needed, we are still on the outside.

We know the current deployment of running Skinner for 15 out of 17 games or whatever is unsustainable. Rodrigue should get a look while the Oilers find more options. He might surprise whereas we know exactly what Pickard is. 1 win against a back to back New Jersey devils team doesn’t change that.

Clean house or bust

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Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25) [message #828044 is a reply to message #828038 ]	Mon, 11 December 2023 09:40

RDOilerfan
Messages: 3908
Registered: January 2016

3 Cups

In my opinion, the woes of the Oilers to start the season were mostly on the players not performing and a bunch of the big guys slumping all at the same time sprinkled in with some main guys being banged up but coaching issues also magnified the problems. So I think we are seeing the current coaching staff doing a better job. Some things specifically:

- PK has been an issue for years. It's been fantastic since the coaching change and helping them win games. The new coaches put Stuart in charge which is a change. They are doing things slightly different which is a change. They also use WAY less players on it and have 3 set forward units which is a HUGE change. It's allowing for continuity between units and also for guys to take personal ownership and it's paying off.

- Defense. I think the guys are playing better but whatever the new coaches are doing/saying/asking them to do is working. Most specifically. Nurse and Bouchard. This is the best Nurse has played in years. I've always thought he was a good dman and takes too much unwarranted abuse but part of his issues has always been he tries to do too much. He's simplified his game and he's way better. So whatever Coffey has told him to do or how he's delivering similar messages, he's receiving way better. Bouchard is never going to have to worry about offense. He's great at but the issue was he gave up too much defensively. He's probably never going to be an elite defender but he doesn't have to be. Just be OK at defending, that's it. He's been way better defensively, noticeably better. He's not taking/making as many extremely risky plays and it's not hurting his offense which I know is important to him. So whatever Coffey is saying or maybe he's able to relate to Bouchard more because Coffey was elite offensively, it's working and their defense is night and day better.

- Defensive structure. I have no doubt in my mind that Tippet and Woody were wanting the team to play better defense. They tried different systems and talked about better defense all the time. At the end of the day, it's up to the players to play better defensively. They have to buy in and choose to play defense. During Tippet's time, for big chunks of last season and to start this year, the whole team wasn't playing good defense. They are now and it's night and day different. So whatever the coaches are doing/saying, asking, it's gotten through to them.

- Lines. For the most part, the new coaches have stuck with the same lines or very similar ones and we are seeing chemistry build. Even when the offense was slow or a the team comes out sluggish, he generally sticks with them. They are a better team when McD and Leon are apart. Lines work better when there is continuity. Woody was always very quick to go nuclear and did it way, way, way too often.

-Ice time. Woody's go too was play the piss out of McD and Leon. When you have 2 guys like that, they will always play alot. But he's not over playing them. Even the 4th line gets minutes. Most of the 4th liners aren't on special teams yet they get minutes.

- Deployment. The new coaches do things Woody would never do. Canes game he starts the 3rd line. He said he loved how they were practicing, thought they were playing well lately and that line looked "ON". So he started them. They responded with a goal right off the opening faceoff. He started Pickard yesterday. I know they need to get Skinners games off, I thought the logical game would be against the Hawks to start Pickard. Skinner played a couple of games and has played a bunch in a row but the team had a long break not long ago. I thought this was Skinners game all day long. Bold move to start Pickard. Devils are a decent team, have a great PP. Pickard responded with a great game and the team played well in front of him. Woody would never do that but it paid off. Now you have options.

I would consider starting Pickard against against the Hawks. They are not a great team, if the Oilers play well, you should beat them. Then you have very fresh Skinner to play against Tampa and Florida. Plus not that Skinner isn't playing well but these guys are competitors, when they see the other guy doing well, it makes you want to do the same. So you could have a very rested, maybe slightly more motivated Skinner going into 2 games against tough teams. He's in no danger of losing his job but he would want to make sure he played well if the back up put up back to back great games.

So while I think the team if Woody was here, would have played better, they have too much talent to play that bad for that long. But I don't think the turn around would have been this fast or them playing as well as they are in areas they normally don't which is PK and defense.

[Updated on: Mon, 11 December 2023 09:42]

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Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25) [message #828045 is a reply to message #828037 ]	Mon, 11 December 2023 13:23

RDOilerfan
Messages: 3908
Registered: January 2016

3 Cups

smyth260 wrote on Sun, 10 December 2023 20:51

Pickard is 31. At this point, he is what he is. So if he sits for long stretches in the NHL not playing, it doesn't stun his development.

Rodrique is 23 and not very far along in his pro career. He needs to be in an environment where he can play and continue to work on his game. He has a chance to be an NHL goalie. A dream scenario would be in a couple of years, your starter and back up are young, home grown, goalies in Skinner and Rodigue. I would keep Rodrigue in the minors and let him continue to develop.

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Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25) [message #828046 is a reply to message #828045 ]	Mon, 11 December 2023 15:15

Steve
Messages: 113
Registered: October 2006
Location: Ottawa

No Cups

RDOilerfan wrote on Mon, 11 December 2023 12:23

smyth260 wrote on Sun, 10 December 2023 20:51

Agreed. I would like to see him getting more time in the AHL. The current problem is that he's been riding the bench in favour of trying to get Campbell back into form. I think that's short term though. If he can outplay Campbell, he'll get more time. At the end of the year, either the Oilers will buy out Campbell or trade him for assets that are less expensive than the buyout penalty. It's going to hurt either way. Then Rodrigue can be the AHL starter next year.

For this year, I still want the Oilers to bring in someone who can start playoff games if Skinner is having trouble with a particular opponent, like Vegas.

Currently it looks like Skinner-Pickard may be able to get them to the deadline, but I'm not comfortable with that duo for the playoffs.

"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."

- Calvin

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Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25) [message #828047 is a reply to message #828046 ]	Mon, 11 December 2023 16:32

RDOilerfan
Messages: 3908
Registered: January 2016

3 Cups

Steve wrote on Mon, 11 December 2023 15:15

RDOilerfan wrote on Mon, 11 December 2023 12:23

smyth260 wrote on Sun, 10 December 2023 20:51

I agree that I think it's short term of Campbell getting more starts. I could see this playing out until after Christmas. Then seeing where's he's at. If he hasn't recovered yet, then I could see them going to more of a normal AHL split and giving Rodrigue more games.

Unfortunately, they have 5 mill for 3 more season unwisely invested in Campbell. As a result, they have to give him time and games in the AHL to hopefully find his game in an effort to try and recover something from him.

I think long term, even if he re-finds his game, he won't be an Oiler next season. The ship has sailed. To have any chance of trading him and not get completely crushed on the trade, they have to hope he can salvage his game to some degree. Lots of teams need goaltending, there simply isn't enough so in a perfect world he can rediscover his game to a reasonable level and the cost to unload him won't be as much. If not, they will have to buy him out which would suck. Either way, I can't see them having him back next year. He'd have to play out of his mind in the AHL then do it in the NHL for the rest of the season to have him back next year. I don't see that happening.

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Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25) [message #828048 is a reply to message #828046 ]	Mon, 11 December 2023 18:52

Adam
Messages: 7165
Registered: August 2005
Location: Edmonton, AB

6 Cups

Steve wrote on Mon, 11 December 2023 15:15

RDOilerfan wrote on Mon, 11 December 2023 12:23

smyth260 wrote on Sun, 10 December 2023 20:51

It would be sheer insanity to go in to the playoffs without getting a goaltender - preferably, someone who ranks above Skinner on the depth chart. I was happy for Pickard getting the win and playing well last night, but I've seen a bunch of Oilers fans declaring the goaltending fixed, and it's just so not. The recent winning streak is a tiny sample size, and includes a couple performances from Skinner where the team outscored the goaltending issue - something that they couldn't do earlier in the year.

And Pickard has a long history as an okay AHL goalie and a not-very-good NHL goalie. He's not changed just because of one good game, just like Campbell playing well in the pre-season wasn't an indication that he'd re-found his game.

As to Campbell, the team needs to put a bullet in that problem sooner than later. There is a solution there, and it's one that gets us back much-needed cap space. He's not tradeable, and I don't believe he's recoverable at this point so someone needs to have the conversation with him.

With the team's recent surge, it is entertaining to see fans trying so hard to believe in management - thinking that the coaching change was the catalyst and not McDavid returning to health and the shooting percentages returning to a more normal level that's driven most of our recovery. Maybe there's a few tweaks, and it's possible some have some positive outcome, but this is the same team with virtually the same systems. There's no way for Knoblauch to overhaul the team in a month while they're playing almost every other night.

We were due for a stretch like this. Now we just need to continue it, because it's a deep dark hole that we're fighting our way out of. Even with a seven game winning streak, we're still 10th in the conference, three points out of the last playoff spot. We're still a whopping 11 points back of the LA Kings who sit in the last of the three Pacific Division spots, and we're 18 back of the Vegas Golden Knights atop the conference.

"Thinking that a bad team's best players are the reason the team is bad is the "Tambellini re-signing Lennart Petrell" of sports opinions." @Woodguy55
#FireBobbyNicks

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Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25) [message #828049 is a reply to message #828041 ]	Mon, 11 December 2023 18:53

Adam
Messages: 7165
Registered: August 2005
Location: Edmonton, AB

6 Cups

smyth260 wrote on Sun, 10 December 2023 22:30

I would have preferred to call up Rodrigue to begin with. I worry now, that having barely played in weeks while the team throws Campbell out there every game, that he's not in a position to succeed if you bring him up.

"Thinking that a bad team's best players are the reason the team is bad is the "Tambellini re-signing Lennart Petrell" of sports opinions." @Woodguy55
#FireBobbyNicks

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Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25) [message #828051 is a reply to message #828048 ]	Tue, 12 December 2023 06:28

Steve
Messages: 113
Registered: October 2006
Location: Ottawa

No Cups

Adam wrote on Mon, 11 December 2023 17:52

Steve wrote on Mon, 11 December 2023 15:15

RDOilerfan wrote on Mon, 11 December 2023 12:23

smyth260 wrote on Sun, 10 December 2023 20:51

The 'new coach bump' was a bit delayed in its arrival, but I think that's what we are seeing now. KK has introduced some tweaks, the team has bought in, and they are trying to impress the coach to make a good impression and garner playing time. Health and luck are also on their side now, which has made a huge difference, and they have been able to outplay the other teams to such a degree that the goaltending has not been the same issue as earlier in the season. That doesn't mean the goaltending is any better. I still have issues with Skinner's lateral movement and he can easily be exposed if the defense in front of him is being outplayed. But he's huge and can stop most pucks that he has a chance to get squared up on. If the Oilers continue to play at a high level, Skinner can get them into the playoffs. I don't think he gets you a Stanley Cup though.

Agreed that a better goalie will go a long way to success in the playoffs. Bringing in a Roloson would be huge. I'm not sure who that goalie is though.

"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."

- Calvin

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Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25) [message #828055 is a reply to message #828051 ]	Tue, 12 December 2023 10:12

Adam
Messages: 7165
Registered: August 2005
Location: Edmonton, AB

6 Cups

Steve wrote on Tue, 12 December 2023 06:28

Agreed that a better goalie will go a long way to success in the playoffs. Bringing in a Roloson would be huge. I'm not sure who that goalie is though.

I had been hoping for Hellebuyck right up until he signed his deal. Thought if he was UFA-to-be and Winnipeg was touch & go to make the playoffs, then he was a target for sure. There's very few UFA goalies of note, and the ones that exist are mostly on playoff-bound teams.

If there's any rumours to the Preds willingness to move on from Saros, then I think the team should be all over it. He's only 28, he's making Campbell money for one more year after this. He's good and he's capable of playing a lot - you wonder if maybe he'd be even better if on a team where he wasn't forced to play as much. He's appeared in 22 of 28 games for them this year - 2nd in the league behind Georgiev.

I'd love to examine whether one of the Boston goalies could be peeled away but I suspect they'll wait until the summer to deal one of them barring paying an astronomical price.

I'm less sold on Merzļikins - he's been a bit up and down. Gibson is hard to fully assess - is he declining or is he just always on a bad team. Ultimately we might need to make a bet on one of those guys if someone like Saros or Ullmark isn't available.

"Thinking that a bad team's best players are the reason the team is bad is the "Tambellini re-signing Lennart Petrell" of sports opinions." @Woodguy55
#FireBobbyNicks

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