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

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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Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25)	By: OilFans on Sun, 10 December 2023 16:30
Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25)	By: tardigrade81 on Sun, 10 December 2023 16:37
Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25)	By: NetBOG on Sun, 10 December 2023 16:39
Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25)	By: inverno76 on Sun, 10 December 2023 16:41
Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25)	By: K.McC#24 on Sun, 10 December 2023 16:49
Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25)	By: Kr55 on Sun, 10 December 2023 16:57
Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25)	By: smyth260 on Sun, 10 December 2023 16:59
Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25)	By: NZ Oiler Fan on Sun, 10 December 2023 17:08
Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25)	By: Suomalainen on Sun, 10 December 2023 17:31
Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25)	By: nullterm on Sun, 10 December 2023 19:14
Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25)	By: smyth260 on Sun, 10 December 2023 20:51
Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25)	By: inverno76 on Sun, 10 December 2023 21:01
Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25)	By: Skoobz on Sun, 10 December 2023 21:28
Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25)	By: smyth260 on Sun, 10 December 2023 22:30
Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25)	By: Adam on Mon, 11 December 2023 18:53
Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25)	By: RDOilerfan on Mon, 11 December 2023 13:23
Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25)	By: Steve on Mon, 11 December 2023 15:15
Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25)	By: RDOilerfan on Mon, 11 December 2023 16:32
Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25)	By: Adam on Mon, 11 December 2023 18:52
Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25)	By: Steve on Tue, 12 December 2023 06:28
Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25)	By: Adam on Tue, 12 December 2023 10:12
Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25)	By: NCREDiBLE on Sun, 10 December 2023 20:57
Re: Review: New Jersey @ Edmonton (Game #25)	By: RDOilerfan on Mon, 11 December 2023 09:40

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