 RDOilerfan
Messages: 3908
Registered: January 2016
3 Cups
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I have to admit after the first period I was a tiny bit worried. The Oilers didn't play bad, they actually had a bunch of good chances but Deccord was good and the Kraken buried a couple of Oilers mistakes.
But what I like though is the Oilers have ZERO panic in their game anymore. In the past, if they were down a goal or 2 and the other goalie was playing well, they would start taking risks and pretty soon the lead against would get more and more. They don't do that anymore. They stay calm, they stick with their game and the pick away at the lead, get the lead then lock it down. I think I saw the Oilers didn't allow a single shot for the last 10 mins of the 3rd.
I am going to say it. I think their start to the season is a blessing. It did 2 things. 1. Got Woody and Manson fired. As good as Woody and Manson were, I think Knoblauch is better. He has them playing defense they have never played before. Goals against and the PK were always a problem with the Oilers. They are 9th in goals against, they have a top 10 PK. Whatever Woody and Manson were trying to get the players to do, they were either ignoring it, didn't understand it or it didn't work. Whatever Knoblaugh and the staff are doing now, it's working, the players understand it and they have 100% bought in.
2. I think it made the players finally give in and realize they have to play defense. They were cup favorites and how they played "their way" got them to dead last. It got a coach they actually really liked fired. Game after game, year after year, they talked about needing to play better defense and cutting down goals against. They would do it for short spurts but it never lasted and they would always have to outscore their defensive woes. So I think their start was the absolute rock bottom for them and they finally as a team decided how they want to play doesn't work after years of trying and they have to play some defense to win. They have been excellent defensively for months now. I've never seen Nurse play this good defensively, he's doing what we all have wanted. McD, Leon have been mostly very good. Nuge was always OK but he's been better. Hyman's been good toned that down big time. The whole team plays good defensively game after game, they PK is great.
I really don't think this happens under Woody. Nothing agaisnt him. He's a good coach, I know he tried but it just wasn't clicking in to the players for whatever reason. They probably would have eventually turned it around under Woody to some degree, they had too much talent not too but I don't think anything close to this. Under Woody, I think they might have been able to battle for the last wild card, probably would have taken the whole season. Under Knoblauch, I think 3rd is a given, 2nd a pretty good chance and while a ways to go, I wouldn't say no to first. Everyone says the Canucks are doing what they are doing behind an insane PDO that in all likelihood won't continue.
Pretty remarkable.
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