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 Who are the "real Oilers"? [message #829839]
Fri, 16 February 2024 11:18 Go to next message
HamBlaster is currently offline HamBlaster
Messages: 989
Registered: June 2007
No Cups
Last night's game against St. Louis was rough. Really rough.

There are some pretty clear behaviours that we see with this team, and last night was a microcosm of the season.

This squad WILL NOT commit to playing a full 60 minutes. Not even close. Last night, I think they managed maybe 30 minutes of solid play, and the rest of it was close to a tire fire. It gets even worse against fast, pressuring opponents like St. Louis. They make the Oilers look like pylons, and break them by skating circles around our team until our guys just flat out give up completely on D zone coverage.

When the Oilers feel inspired, everyone is skating, players are positionally sound and supportive and they drive the net and score goals. When the Mr. Hyde version of the squad shows up instead, they are bordering on brutally lethargic, don't look inspired and are lackadaisical on the forecheck, at the defensive blueline and in their own defensive zone coverage. The gulf between the good and the bad is so catastrophically huge though, and that's a massive problem.

What does this team need to feel consistently inspired? Regular coaching changes? Has the shine of the Woodcroft firing and Knoblauch hiring started to fade?

They looked lazy and tired last night, and only McDavid had any real jump to his game. It's disappointing watching a team with so much ability play so far below their capacity.

The biggest problem that I see is that Connor is starting to get really PO'd. He skated off the ice a number of times shaking his head as 18 was playing awful and 93 wasn't all that much better. The line shakeup was demanded by McDavid, I'm sure... and lo and behold... Hyman starts trying again! We need guys to not feel too comfortable on the top two lines. If you want to play with Connor and Leon, you HAVE to produce. Every game, you have to make an impact, one way or another. If you don't, you slide down in the lineup and give someone that deserves the opportunity a shot to see if they can stick.

I get it, I'm overreacting. But I'm also not. They played like garbage to start the season, got their HC canned, played inspired for a while... and are now sliding back into garbage dump territory against stronger teams. The Oilers can play better than this. A lot better.

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 Re: Who are the "real Oilers"? [message #829842 is a reply to message #829839 ]
Fri, 16 February 2024 12:01 Go to previous messageGo to next message
smyth260 is currently offline smyth260
Messages: 1081
Registered: November 2007
1 Cup
I don't know if a full 60 minutes game in and game out is a thing by even the best teams. Hockey is the most fluid and uncontrolled of the 4 major NA sports, and it makes it tough to always be the better team every minute. If you are the better team more minutes than not, more likely you will win the game.

With that said, the weaknesses were showing at the end of the streak, they are now just resulting in losses. They are quite devoted to a bottom 6 personnel who can't score. Meanwhile their finishing ranks at the bottom of the league.

The defense still needs a piece (Ceci replacement).

The Oilers have a lot of games to play down the stretch in a short amount of time, unlike the first half of the season. Pickard / Skinner deployment probably won't work out in the next 30 games as it has in the last 30 games. Skinner is going to wear down a lot faster, so they either need to play Pickard more or find another goalie they can trust.

The real Oilers are a squad with holes and it was inevitable that they would be exposed. Hoping they can have a massive deadline.

Clean house or bust

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 Re: Who are the "real Oilers"? [message #829845 is a reply to message #829842 ]
Fri, 16 February 2024 14:36 Go to previous messageGo to next message
RDOilerfan is currently offline RDOilerfan
Messages: 3908
Registered: January 2016
3 Cups
My brother had a similar text rant with me after the Kings game. He went over the top about how bad they are, how pathetic their effort was, how unacceptable it was, etc, etc. He got so irrational, I suggested if he was so unhappy, there was 31 other teams to cheer for.

Knoblauch got hired Nov 12. In that time, he's taken then to 3rd in the West. They have a chance for second. They have 31 wins now and 63 pts in 50 games. They looked to be poised to easily surpass 50 wins and be well over 100 pts. Since Knoblauch took over, they are 29-8.

I think the worst thing that could have happened for some fans is they go on an 8 then 16 game winning streak because it caused some fans to lose all rational perspective. Going 29-8 in a with in a 3 month span is pretty spectacular. If the Oilers had that same record but they did it by winning 4 or 5 in a row, then losing a couple, then 4 or 5 in a row, then lose, then then 2 or 3 in a row, then lose 1. No one would say a word. They would be like "wow, look at our record". But because they won so many in a row, twice, people lost all perspective.

Playing your best game every single night is not possible. It won't ever happen nor has it for any team. Destroying every single bad team every time you play them, won't ever happen. Every good team is going to have off nights, they will get goalied, they will lost games they should have won. It happens every single year. That doesn't mean they are lazy or as my bro said pathetic.

There is 164 pts available if a team goes 82-0. If a team wins gets over 100 points, that's considered a good season. That means they didn't get 60+ available points. If they win 52 games, that's considered a very good season but also means they lost 30. Perspective people.

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 Re: Who are the "real Oilers"? [message #829849 is a reply to message #829839 ]
Fri, 16 February 2024 18:08 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Skookum Jim is currently offline Skookum Jim
Messages: 4418
Registered: March 2006
Location: Burnaby, BC
4 Cups
One way to look at it is the real Oilers are the median of their performances..
At the start of their streak the defensive play.. break outs out of the D-zone.. limiting chances against.. puck retrievals.. was excellent.. playing smart over all.. great team habits.. it was like another team.. the one we've all hoped for.. had one of the best GA averages in the NHL.

Then near the end of the streak.. even when winning games.. they were coughing up chances routinely.. dumb, dopey decisions.. lack of awareness.. weak physical efforts..

Then the schedule got harder and the close wins have turned to losses and even some beat downs..

During the streak the whole line up was clicking.. now its primarily McDavid going full ET..

Consistency of effort, physical play and smart decisions are things they can control every game.. starts from there..



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: Who are the "real Oilers"? [message #829850 is a reply to message #829839 ]
Fri, 16 February 2024 21:22 Go to previous messageGo to next message
NetBOG is currently offline NetBOG
Messages: 2948
Registered: January 2006
Location: Parts Unknown
2 Cups
Don't expect too much to change tomorrow. Gonna get curbstomped on the ABC broadcast network.

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 Re: Who are the "real Oilers"? [message #829883 is a reply to message #829845 ]
Sun, 18 February 2024 10:45 Go to previous messageGo to next message
inverno76 is currently offline inverno76
Messages: 2343
Registered: September 2005
Location: Prince Albert, Saskatchew...
2 Cups
RDOilerfan wrote on Fri, 16 February 2024 14:36

My brother had a similar text rant with me after the Kings game. He went over the top about how bad they are, how pathetic their effort was, how unacceptable it was, etc, etc. He got so irrational, I suggested if he was so unhappy, there was 31 other teams to cheer for.

Knoblauch got hired Nov 12. In that time, he's taken then to 3rd in the West. They have a chance for second. They have 31 wins now and 63 pts in 50 games. They looked to be poised to easily surpass 50 wins and be well over 100 pts. Since Knoblauch took over, they are 29-8.

I think the worst thing that could have happened for some fans is they go on an 8 then 16 game winning streak because it caused some fans to lose all rational perspective. Going 29-8 in a with in a 3 month span is pretty spectacular. If the Oilers had that same record but they did it by winning 4 or 5 in a row, then losing a couple, then 4 or 5 in a row, then lose, then then 2 or 3 in a row, then lose 1. No one would say a word. They would be like "wow, look at our record". But because they won so many in a row, twice, people lost all perspective.

Playing your best game every single night is not possible. It won't ever happen nor has it for any team. Destroying every single bad team every time you play them, won't ever happen. Every good team is going to have off nights, they will get goalied, they will lost games they should have won. It happens every single year. That doesn't mean they are lazy or as my bro said pathetic.

There is 164 pts available if a team goes 82-0. If a team wins gets over 100 points, that's considered a good season. That means they didn't get 60+ available points. If they win 52 games, that's considered a very good season but also means they lost 30. Perspective people.


Quit being so rational.


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 Re: Who are the "real Oilers"? [message #829884 is a reply to message #829850 ]
Sun, 18 February 2024 10:53 Go to previous message
inverno76 is currently offline inverno76
Messages: 2343
Registered: September 2005
Location: Prince Albert, Saskatchew...
2 Cups
NetBOG wrote on Fri, 16 February 2024 21:22

Don't expect too much to change tomorrow. Gonna get curbstomped on the ABC broadcast network.


Glad your prediction fell short. I missed most of the 2nd but the team responded well from what I watched.

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