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Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814952]	Mon, 05 December 2022 21:00

OilFans
Messages: 1430
Registered: February 2006
Location: Edmonton

1 Cup

2 Final

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Re: Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814953 is a reply to message #814952 ]	Mon, 05 December 2022 21:07

Skookum Jim
Messages: 3911
Registered: March 2006
Location: Burnaby, BC

3 Cups

Give that defense a Space-X ride to the middle of the sun

https://media1.giphy.com/media/ctGFLebG1AqK4/200w.gif?cid=6c09b952jnyyiyn22rlomh9j25nx2ic84qn74fr0eyq79x02&rid=200w.gif&ct=g

McDAVID! Oh YEAH Baby!!
Tic-Tac-Tao!
Keep on Rockin' in the Free World
P. Chiarelli math.. T. Hall = A. Larsson, Yak= bag o'pucks (OK he got one right...) K. Russell = $4.1 M+NMC, G. Reinhart= M. Barzal + A. Beauvillier, J. Eberle = R. Spooner,

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Re: Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814982 is a reply to message #814953 ]	Tue, 06 December 2022 07:45

HamBlaster
Messages: 797
Registered: June 2007

No Cups

Was at the game and woof... that was an AHL defense playing out there. Nurse calls out the team after the game as well... when he was just as lackadaisical.

This isn't great.

And please... please... never ice that fourth line again. They were hemmed in their own zone basically every shift they played. Ryan and Shore are done.

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Re: Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814954 is a reply to message #814952 ]	Mon, 05 December 2022 21:07

clutchlikeeberle
Messages: 251
Registered: April 2012

No Cups

How about those playoffs? Imagine thinking your a contender. Only thing this team is contending for is bedard.

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Re: Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814956 is a reply to message #814954 ]	Mon, 05 December 2022 21:24

CrusaderPi
Messages: 7641
Registered: December 2003
Location: AB Highway 100

6 Cups

They’re in a playoff spot now.

I can’t see any way they finish below Anaheim, arizona, chicago, vancouver, and San Jose. So worst case they’re 11th in the conference. I think they stay ahead of Calgary and seattle fades. You’re confusing not being a contender with not being a contender for the playoffs.

Please do not feed the bears. Feeding the bears creates a dependent population unable to survive on their own. Bears.

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Re: Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814958 is a reply to message #814956 ]	Mon, 05 December 2022 21:28

Rutuu
Messages: 106
Registered: March 2011
Location: Brisbane

No Cups

Top 4 picks in this draft are pretty good. We've still gotten 1/3 of the #1 draft picks over the last 12yrs. That by my definition is a dynasty, so don't count us out.

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Re: Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814967 is a reply to message #814956 ]	Mon, 05 December 2022 22:17

sandman88
Messages: 18
Registered: November 2022

No Cups

CrusaderPi wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 04:24

Hey it a learning process so we be fine a year or two

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Re: Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814973 is a reply to message #814967 ]	Mon, 05 December 2022 23:27

Hemmer2Eberle
Messages: 72
Registered: March 2010
Location: St. Albert, Alberta

No Cups

sandman88 wrote on Mon, 05 December 2022 22:17

Hey it a learning process so we be fine a year or two

A year, maybe. 2? Absolutely not. We are now treading close to wasting valuable years of Leon and Connors career. Reasonable moves need to be made to get a better team on the ice ASAP without giving up the farm. Holland hasn't presented a better team than we had last year, and overall, I still don't feel he has made the team better since coming on board. Leon and Connor still make up for I believe just over 40% of our offense. It's sad, and pathetic. 2 more years, is not acceptable.

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Re: Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814980 is a reply to message #814954 ]	Tue, 06 December 2022 06:08

tardigrade81
Messages: 1886
Registered: November 2022
Location: Regina, Saskatchewan

1 Cup

clutchlikeeberle wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 04:07

How about those playoffs? Imagine thinking your a contender. Only thing this team is contending for is bedard.

Yup.

Skinner was fantastic and we still lose. This team just can’t get it together

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Re: Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814957 is a reply to message #814952 ]	Mon, 05 December 2022 21:26

Kr55
Messages: 9614
Registered: May 2002
Location: Edmonton

6 Cups

1 line team where defense is optional. How do we always end up back here?

"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: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814959 is a reply to message #814957 ]	Mon, 05 December 2022 21:29

clutchlikeeberle
Messages: 251
Registered: April 2012

No Cups

This team is flawed, I didn't expect it, but the longer Manson is our D coach, the worst our D is. We give too much space, don't get to free pucks fast enough, and get outworked for near every puck battle. We don't care to start the game on time; need I go on? But none of this matters unless I can go find some fancy stats to back every statement up #eyetestdoesn'tmatter

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Re: Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814961 is a reply to message #814959 ]	Mon, 05 December 2022 21:46

kungpaobenji27
Messages: 262
Registered: August 2003
Location: Irving, Texas

No Cups

clutchlikeeberle wrote on Mon, 05 December 2022 22:29

I hear Huddy is available again for backend coaching....

With regards to this game, Stu definitely deserved better...

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Re: Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814977 is a reply to message #814957 ]	Tue, 06 December 2022 01:09

Adam
Messages: 6825
Registered: August 2005
Location: Edmonton, AB

6 Cups

Kr55 wrote on Mon, 05 December 2022 21:26

1 line team where defense is optional. How do we always end up back here?

I was thinking tonight - when was the last time someone was the hero who wasn't on our top line? I guess the one game a couple weeks ago with Bouchard and McLeod stepping up. After that though? Has there been another one this year?

"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
~~#FireLowe~~ #FireBobbyNicks #FireKenHolland #FireKeithGretzky

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Re: Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814979 is a reply to message #814977 ]	Tue, 06 December 2022 05:56

NZ Oiler Fan
Messages: 892
Registered: October 2006
Location: Kensington, PEI

No Cups

Same crap different year.
I thought last season was the year that everyone FINALLY committed to playing defense as a team, and the results showed.
What happened to that mentality between then and now? Do they really need Keith & Smith yelling at them all game in order to remember to play defense? Sure seems like it.

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Re: Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #815011 is a reply to message #814977 ]	Tue, 06 December 2022 20:43

inverno76
Messages: 2122
Registered: September 2005
Location: Prince Albert, Saskatchew...

2 Cups

Adam wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 01:09

Kr55 wrote on Mon, 05 December 2022 21:26

1 line team where defense is optional. How do we always end up back here?

That broke the team. Universes turned on us that afternoon and the we lost McLeod and Foegele. Good teams can recover from losing top 9 forwards, but this team can’t recover from no Foegele, McLeod, Kane, Yam/Hyman.

Especially Hyman. When both him and Yamamoto are in the lineup at the same time, then we’ve got two lines with give an effort players that are not our top scorers. The heart has been ripped out of the lineup.

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Re: Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814960 is a reply to message #814952 ]	Mon, 05 December 2022 21:38

Kr55
Messages: 9614
Registered: May 2002
Location: Edmonton

6 Cups

Woodcroft creating a bouchard broberg pairing might push Holland to do something crazy. Saw some gross rumors about a massive overpay for Edmundson.

"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: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814966 is a reply to message #814952 ]	Mon, 05 December 2022 22:15

Kr55
Messages: 9614
Registered: May 2002
Location: Edmonton

6 Cups

Thought it couldn't get worse for Skinner tonight.

https://i.ibb.co/gwnwx7Y/PXL-20221206-044007173.jpg

Team messed him over so bad he turned into Kulak.

[Updated on: Mon, 05 December 2022 22:19]

"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: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814968 is a reply to message #814966 ]	Mon, 05 December 2022 22:37

Hemmer2Eberle
Messages: 72
Registered: March 2010
Location: St. Albert, Alberta

No Cups

This game didn't honestly deserve to be that close. We were god awful. Skinner was amazing. I probably would have left after the first if they had gone with Campbell, cause it would have been 4 in the first.

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Re: Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814975 is a reply to message #814968 ]	Tue, 06 December 2022 00:04

sandman88
Messages: 18
Registered: November 2022

No Cups

[quote title=Hemmer2Eberle wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 05:37]This game didn't honestly deserve to be that close. We were god awful. Skinner was amazing. I probably would have left after the first if they had gone with Campbell, cause it would have been 4 in

Yawn with the Campbell hate.

[Updated on: Tue, 06 December 2022 00:19]

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Re: Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814976 is a reply to message #814975 ]	Tue, 06 December 2022 00:26

Hemmer2Eberle
Messages: 72
Registered: March 2010
Location: St. Albert, Alberta

No Cups

sandman88 wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 00:04

Yawn with the Campbell hate.

Good on ya for trying something new after having your same comment deleted twice.

Anyways, Campbell is bad. Get with the times. He was a product of his environment, which was a much better D core than the Oilers have. He hasn't once been able to stand on his head in a game for us, and steal one. You know who used to do that frequently? Mike Smith. That's sad. I'd love for Campbell to live up to his contract eventually, but he has zero confidence in his game, and hasn't since about mid to late last year in TO.

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Re: Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814981 is a reply to message #814976 ]	Tue, 06 December 2022 06:10

tardigrade81
Messages: 1886
Registered: November 2022
Location: Regina, Saskatchewan

1 Cup

Hemmer2Eberle wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 07:26

sandman88 wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 00:04

Yawn with the Campbell hate.

This!

Why would anyone defend Campbell. He has the worst save percentage in the entire league and skinner has the 13th BEST save percentage. Do people suddenly think the team plays better in front of skinner??

Campbell let’s on goals I could save or any high school kid could save. He just hasn’t been good this year. It is what it is

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Re: Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814983 is a reply to message #814981 ]	Tue, 06 December 2022 08:01

K.McC#24
Messages: 2827
Registered: March 2004
Location: ALBERTA

2 Cups

tardigrade81 wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 06:10

Hemmer2Eberle wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 07:26

sandman88 wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 00:04

Yawn with the Campbell hate.

Could be cause and effect. Regardless of goalie, the Oilers play different when they're ahead, even, or chasing. If they're chasing, most nights this D has a hard time treading water.

So if Campbell let's 2 in on the first 6 shots in 5 minutes and in the same scenario Skinner stops them, it's certainly plausible that because the Oilers are chasing they are going to play worse defensively under Campbell.

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Re: Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814987 is a reply to message #814983 ]	Tue, 06 December 2022 08:50

Kr55
Messages: 9614
Registered: May 2002
Location: Edmonton

6 Cups

K.McC#24 wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 08:01

tardigrade81 wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 06:10

Hemmer2Eberle wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 07:26

sandman88 wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 00:04

Yawn with the Campbell hate.

Think this team might do the opposite. They take good goaltending for granted and start to gamble. When they lose confidence in the goalie they play scared.

Skinner still has a higher expected goals against per 60. We allow more good chances against him. Campbell is playing so bad that he isn't even getting the chance to be left out to dry like we do to Skinner. We're playing scared and bottling up in front of Campbell and he is still letting them squeak through. I don't think we would want to see how Campbell would handle even more quality chances against right now

[Updated on: Tue, 06 December 2022 08:59]

"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: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814988 is a reply to message #814987 ]	Tue, 06 December 2022 09:00

RDOilerfan
Messages: 3705
Registered: January 2016

3 Cups

Kr55 wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 08:50

K.McC#24 wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 08:01

tardigrade81 wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 06:10

Hemmer2Eberle wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 07:26

sandman88 wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 00:04

Yawn with the Campbell hate.

I agree. They are missing 4 of their top 9 forwards, 2 of them are their 2 best wingers, so they are having to play lesser players. Logic says since you are depleted, you maybe don't take as many chances, buckle down a little but they don't. It's still run and gun. So the better the goaltending plays, I think the more reckless they will become.

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Re: Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814984 is a reply to message #814952 ]	Tue, 06 December 2022 08:13

K.McC#24
Messages: 2827
Registered: March 2004
Location: ALBERTA

2 Cups

9 giveaways on the back end. Woof.

The score was the only thing that kept me watching, I wanted to see if the Oilers could pull out a game where the deserve to win meter had to be 65% in favor of Washington.

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Re: Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814986 is a reply to message #814984 ]	Tue, 06 December 2022 08:42

RDOilerfan
Messages: 3705
Registered: January 2016

3 Cups

I have said it before, until the team and more specifically the top guys have a mindset change where they view their job as playing winning hockey vs thinking their only job is to score, the team won't take a step forward.

- Playing winning hockey means making the correct play that might be simple and boring vs making the very low percentage, risky play that if completed, potentially scores you a goal.
If there is the option to dump the puck in when your team is changing, chip it off the glass when you are under duress, pass the puck 10 ft to a guy up the boards OR you can try to go 1 on 3 or 4 on a line change, do a spin move or try to stick handle out of a problem, try for a 60 ft cross ice pass with defenders in the middle because if you complete that pass, man you will get on the highlights, you can bet your ass the Oilers will go for the risky play because if they make it, oohhh baby will it be a sweet goal.

- Playing winning hockey means you always backcheck hard, always pick up your man in front, always battle hard in the corners, always forecheck and pressure when you are supposed too, never fly the zone before your team has the puck under control, always get in the shooting lanes, always get into the passing lanes, always doing your assignments and never cheating your assignment for offense. Doing those things is hard work, there isn't any glory, it's not fun, you won't get points for it and you won't make a highlight package. Playing defense has nothing to do with god given talent, it's not something that only certain players can do well and others just can't. Playing defense is a choice. Playing defense means you might have to sacrifice some offense at times to make the right play so you won't score that shift. Playing defense means you might have to do something you don't that isn't in your comfort zone and that you don't like to do.

The Oilers roster isn't perfect but what needs to change with this team has to start with the top guys. I go look at last nights stats. Leon -2, McD -1. I think about the Caps first goal that was a soft as hell, BAD give away whatever the hell Leon was doing basically pass to a Caps player in his own zone. He's a top 5 player in the world with the puck on his stick and he gave it away. Can't happen. Second goal, McD on the PK. He was standing right beside Oshie, he could literally touch him. The Dmen are busy covering other guys and trying to deal with the puck. That's your man. Tie up his stick. He didn't. He did nothing but watch Oshie fire it in. What defensive system would say "just leave a guy wide open in the slot and watch him score.

So McD and Leon were both on for 2 goals apiece in a 3-2 game. Could they use more depth scoring? Yes, a lot of their supposed depth scoring is hurt but they could use more. Could they use a few better bottom 6 guys? Sure. Could they use another dman? Sure. But having those guys in doesn't fix what happened. Until the top guys decide they will play right all the time which might mean you sacrifice a little offense, the team won't change. The top guys need to set the standard then hold the rest of the team accountable.

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Re: Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814989 is a reply to message #814986 ]	Tue, 06 December 2022 10:11

tardigrade81
Messages: 1886
Registered: November 2022
Location: Regina, Saskatchewan

1 Cup

Agreed with everything said….. this team needs
To figure it out and fast though. Good news is we have coyotes next, predators in there who aren’t playing great and the Blues who has lost 4 straight

However, we do have Minnesota back to back which is scary. We still can’t find a way to beat them or when keel the score reasonable.

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Re: Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814990 is a reply to message #814989 ]	Tue, 06 December 2022 10:15

RDOilerfan
Messages: 3705
Registered: January 2016

3 Cups

It won't ever happen sadly but I think when McD and Leon make as bad of a defensively play and show as little give a crap defensively that they did on that 1st goal, Woody should get some balls and sit them for a shift. Let's be real here, you can't bench those 2 for a period. But a shift. You can survive them missing a shift or 2 but the message would be MASSIVE.

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Re: Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814991 is a reply to message #814990 ]	Tue, 06 December 2022 13:16

tardigrade81
Messages: 1886
Registered: November 2022
Location: Regina, Saskatchewan

1 Cup

RDOilerfan wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 17:15

I somewhat agree with this... I know Leon and McDavid are hands off with fans, and can do no wrong.... but they do commit a ton of bad defensive plays and are extremely sloppy.... They are unbelievable offensively, so they obviously get a pass.... but if this team can't figure it out defensively we won't go anywhere far... Hence why Colorado swept us, and hence why we are barely in a playoff spot as we speak.... A good offense just won't cut it anymor ein this league... You need good play from both ends of the stick, and we just aren't getting that.... There is absolutely no way we should have lost last night with how good Skinner was, but low and behold we find a way to lose.

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Re: Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814992 is a reply to message #814991 ]	Tue, 06 December 2022 13:25

Kr55
Messages: 9614
Registered: May 2002
Location: Edmonton

6 Cups

tardigrade81 wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 13:16

RDOilerfan wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 17:15

I think everything about how this team plays makes sense if everything organized around the theory "If McDavid and Drai don't do all the scoring, we will never win". That means all the depth guys are just here to kill some time while McDrai catch their breath, and when McDrai are out there, they should just gamble all night and try to score as much as possible to cancel out how useless everyone else is.

We actually got away from that for half a year last season. Seemed like a minor miracle and we were turning a corner, but here we are again, and it's like Tippett, Hitchcock or McLellan never left. Every coach seems to end up playing this lineup the same way. And we're back to punishing young guys for any mistake and giving vets an infinitely long leash no matter how bad they play.

It's all pretty disappointing. I guess just gotta hope something changes through the year.

[Updated on: Tue, 06 December 2022 13:28]

"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: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814993 is a reply to message #814992 ]	Tue, 06 December 2022 13:31

RDOilerfan
Messages: 3705
Registered: January 2016

3 Cups

Kr55 wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 13:25

tardigrade81 wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 13:16

RDOilerfan wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 17:15

I agree. I believe McD and Leon believe their only job is to score. That's it. Doing everything else is someone elses job. I think that is so wrong.

Playing defense doesn't mean that have to no go after the puck, not attack just hang back. It means just playing sound hockey. I would have thought that the playoffs would have showed them that. McD and Leon played hard, back checked, hit, took their man, they played sound hockey and they still piled up the points.

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Re: Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814994 is a reply to message #814993 ]	Tue, 06 December 2022 13:44

Kr55
Messages: 9614
Registered: May 2002
Location: Edmonton

6 Cups

RDOilerfan wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 13:31

Kr55 wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 13:25

tardigrade81 wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 13:16

RDOilerfan wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 17:15

Do we put the blame on McDrai though if that's how the team approaches games? Woodcroft is the guy playing them to death. Lots was made by media and players themselves last year about how the depth guys felt like they didn't have a part in the teams success under Tippett and that flipped with Woodcroft, but here we are back again. Maybe the depth guys are actually useless and we should be talking more about Holland, but I still do see the extreme lean on McDrai again by the coach.

Probably factors from every part of this org for why we're right back to this state of the team. I did think that the coach may have been eliminated as one of them (based on half a year, haha, pwned again by this team), but I think that's definitely not the case now. Bad GMing, weak coaching, weak depth. Last 2 root from the GM of course, and the GM situation roots from the OBC style ownership that fell back on another buddy to run this team. In the end, this org doesn't really deserve much better than history to keep repeating.

[Updated on: Tue, 06 December 2022 13:51]

"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: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814995 is a reply to message #814994 ]	Tue, 06 December 2022 14:00

CrusaderPi
Messages: 7641
Registered: December 2003
Location: AB Highway 100

6 Cups

Kr55 wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 13:44

RDOilerfan wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 13:31

Kr55 wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 13:25

tardigrade81 wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 13:16

RDOilerfan wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 17:15

100%. Maybe 122%

Why wouldn't McDrai lean heavily towards the offense? IF they play for defense they know the depth lines are still going to get caved in and the defense is still going to be suspect and the goaltending is often going to be questionable. If not the top 2, who is going to outscore those problems.

These problems are not going away. They'll still make the playoffs, but they're not a good team or contender.

Please do not feed the bears. Feeding the bears creates a dependent population unable to survive on their own. Bears.

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Re: Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814996 is a reply to message #814995 ]	Tue, 06 December 2022 14:16

RDOilerfan
Messages: 3705
Registered: January 2016

3 Cups

I think you guys are thinking when I say they need to play better team defense, I mean they need to hang back, trap and not ever attack. I am not what so ever. All I am saying is play smart. Leon last night doing a soft touch pass in his own zone assuming McD is racing up the ice that gets easily picked off and they go score isn't a smart play. Being on 1 side of the ice with 3 defenders in the middle clogging up the middle then deciding that's a great time to try a cross ice pass to a streaking winger that gets picked off isn't a smart play. The Oilers are changing, so the puck carry instead of just dumping it in, tries to go 1 on 3 and it goes the other way for an odd man break. That's not a smart play.

They can still attack and go for offense without having to take risks that most player in the league don't do. That is what I am referring too. When your dman is going back to get the puck with defenders coming at him and the forward decides to fly the zone early, that's not a smart play.

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Re: Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #814997 is a reply to message #814952 ]	Tue, 06 December 2022 14:34

Kr55
Messages: 9614
Registered: May 2002
Location: Edmonton

6 Cups

Apparently Bouch was benched after that 3-2 goal? I didn't pay much attention to the game TBH, but I did see how that goal developed, and am a bit confused how Bouch is singled out.

Bouncing puck comes to the blue line and Kulak decides to skate into it and try to make a fancy pickup. 3 Caps players anticipate Kulak screwing up and take off. Kulak ends up putting it right on one of their sticks. Bouch, with a huge error in judgement, had faith in Kulak making a play so he's already being beat by a cap who is almost fully up to speed leaving the zone. Bouch does his best to try to catch up and gets to the side of the forward and is able to force him to one side. The forward seemed to know our forwards we not going to be close to the play and he could pass back to a wide open guy. Bouch stops from running into Skinner after trying to cover his man and before he can turn around and the 3rd man is already happily picking his spot wide open in the slot. Even if Bouch had crazy awareness and spun around to challenge the 3rd man, not sure he could have made a dif.

But in the end, that was all on Bouch and media guys are on board with it too and he had to answer for his mistake today in the scrums, and last night with the benching.

"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: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #815000 is a reply to message #814997 ]	Tue, 06 December 2022 15:39

Adam
Messages: 6825
Registered: August 2005
Location: Edmonton, AB

6 Cups

Kr55 wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 14:34

I did think his dive from way behind the puck carrier was a silly effort and put him out of position to respond to any other threat, but I agree. The team was miserable from top to bottom last night. Kulak, Ceci, Nurse all had major gaffes. Barrie got walked MULTIPLE times. Only guy I can't remember being just embarrassed on any plays was Broberg, and that may be just my memory, as opposed to him doing anything right. I guess maybe someone needed to be scapegoated, but it's not a particularly fair one when they were all brutal.

I think it's definitely more complicated than "Draisaitl and McDavid don't care enough about the details" or whatever the most recent Mark Spector talking point is. Either Woodcroft just changed style completely, or Holland is interfering in how he wants the team run, or something weird is going on, because we absolutely have reverted to the style of play that made us so unsuccessful under our last few crappy coaches. And if those two are asked to carry the team every night then we will see mistakes from time to time because A) they need to push to create offence because no one else is doing it and B) they're probably overplayed, and tired players make more mistakes.

I loved seeing the McDavid shortie last night, but does he really need that responsibility lumped on top of his already significant workload? Penalty killing is tiring work and he's more likely to get injured blocking a shot. As for the PP goal against, I'm not blaming him there. Someone was asking why Ovechkin still scores PP goals, and that was the answer. Because if you have someone cheat towards him, then you open up an opportunity for someone else. The Oilers played the PK last night with a design to stopping him from shooting and so everyone else on the PP blasted away (17 powerplay shots). Even with the Oilers keying on it, OV still had five shots last night. McDavid can't abandon up high to try to tie up sticks from people in front of the net, because the second he's committed there, then Ovechkin is wide open in his office.

One little defence of Woodcroft - the team we're icing includes Ryan (who looks a shell of even his last year version), Shore, Malone (I'll never understand what we see in that guy) and Hamblin in his second NHL game. We played big minutes for Yamamoto in his first game back from injury. That's not a lineup built for success - although I still think he makes some weird choices with ice times down the lineup, and his lack of patience is crazy. If a winger doesn't score in the first period on the McDavid line, it's 50/50 that he's on to a new option in Period #2.

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Re: Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #815004 is a reply to message #815000 ]	Tue, 06 December 2022 15:51

RDOilerfan
Messages: 3705
Registered: January 2016

3 Cups

Adam wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 15:39

Kr55 wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 14:34

I agree with you on Ryan. I thought last year he was a pretty decent bottom 6 guy. 10 goals, 22 pts, 55.8% on draws. This season, he to me looks like he is turning 36 in Dec. He's even having a rough year on draws. 45.2% when he is a career 55.2. That's a massive drop off.

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Re: Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #815005 is a reply to message #815004 ]	Tue, 06 December 2022 15:59

Adam
Messages: 6825
Registered: August 2005
Location: Edmonton, AB

6 Cups

RDOilerfan wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 15:51

Adam wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 15:39

Kr55 wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 14:34

36? or 56? He's just a complete non-factor now. His lack of speed and faceoff success is a factor on the PK.

And at the end of the game, we used a left-shooting center on the left dot...and you have to think if we had a righty who could win a draw, that's a better spot for him...

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Re: Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #815006 is a reply to message #815005 ]	Tue, 06 December 2022 16:06

RDOilerfan
Messages: 3705
Registered: January 2016

3 Cups

Adam wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 15:59

RDOilerfan wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 15:51

Adam wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 15:39

Kr55 wrote on Tue, 06 December 2022 14:34

His play has dropped off quite a bit. No debating that.

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Re: Review: Washington @ Edmonton (Game #26) [message #815002 is a reply to message #814997 ]	Tue, 06 December 2022 15:47

RDOilerfan
Messages: 3705
Registered: January 2016

3 Cups

Can someone explain to me this narrative I keep seeing on Twitter about JP apparently being asked to chase hits and it ruins his game? He's got 60 hits in 26 games, that's 2.3 a game. If you take out the Habs game where he got 8, that's 52 in 25 games. So BARELY over 2 hits a game. I looked up all his games. He has 6 games so far where he had zero hits, another 3 games with 1 and another 6 with 2. So 15 games in 26 he has 2 or less hits. So if it's true the coaching staff has asked him to chase hits and he's running around looking to drill guys, shouldn't he have more than 2 a game?

He's 6'4, well over 200 lbs so a big man and maybe the coach tells him to use his big frame to his advantage when he is digging for pucks to win a few puck battles from time to time and that throws his game off? I've seen all kinds of reasons why he's not producing and this is another example of a reason I don't get.

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