[PGT] “Losing is easy. Winning is Hard” Flames burns off Oil 5-1!!

[Tsawwassen]

Post game links
http://sportsstats.cbc.ca/hockey/nhl...cap127064.html
https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/games/2155345

[Aarongavey]

We had a great start but just couldn't hold them off any longer.

This post on HF made me LOL

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Immensely satisfying win for the good guys. No doubt who our top line is now.

I dunno. One line seemed to be matched against McDrai all night and held them to one goal (which was an almost undefendable tip), and matched that goal with Monanan’s. The other feasted on the RNH line.

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Awesome win. Not that tired, think I will tune in to CHED for awhile while waiting for the ATL.

Ribbit!

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

If they get a winger, he better be able to play defence like Backlund. The Flames were able to play Monahan versus McDavid tonight without a lot of fear because Backlund brings some defensive game. So the answer’s not a Hall type.

Due to the offensive struggles early on it hasn’t been talked about a lot, but it’s also because of the improved defensive play and skating from Monahan.

He has grown as a player this year.

[UKflames]

Winning is always satisfying. Winning against E=NG and putting 5 past them at home, that's a whole different level of whiskey goodness.


I think we can safely say that the team was ready to play on this occasion.

[crapshoot]

The meltdown among oilers fans is epic. It's like they all collectively realized just how screwed their team is. Again. Took them long enough.

[CaptainCrunch]

In his last 15 games Connor has 4 goals, 12 assists -10.


So if you extrapolate that using the massively expensive Crunchotron 5000 over an 82 game season. Its 22 goals 65 asssists and -54.


Hardly MVP numbers. Oiler fans are delusional if they don't put a huge chunk of the blame on McAvi and Raisatl for the teams fortune.



I watched Connor last night and outside of the tip, he wasn't overly dangerous and seemed content to scream up the wing and take wrist shots from non dangerous areas.


I think a combination of fatigue and "Man, I just can't care anymore" has hit the Ynamic ou (No D remember) and the rest of that team is content to follow.

[FlameFan21]

Update of the Reggie Dunlop classic

And my submission for entry into the Oilers Haters Club

[Flames Fan, Ph.D.]

I'm not sure how you fix that team.

If I was Tippett, I would have lost my mind at that first goal, run down to get on the zamboni and crash it through the boards to chase RNH around the ice until I swept him up and discarded him outside.

[dammage79]

If I were an Oiler fan I could look at this season as a success. I'd say "well, we were good until christmas! Usually we would be out before thanks giving"

Baby steps. Hahaha.

[sa226]

Its funny how essentially swapping Backlund and Lindholm gives the team so much more balance.

Love me some Backlund, but on a good team he is a much better complimentary player than a 2nd line center getting all the matchups. Lindholm is trending up, Backlund is who he is.

Up until now Mangiapane has kind of looked like a filler on that line. He is starting to look like he belongs. If he can stick in the top six like that, it bodes well for the team moving forward. With the Lindholm line heating up, I'd like to see Monahan and Gaudreau regain some of their dominance. We see it at times, but i'd like to see more. Thats just a personal preference, because I think their games are changing to become better 2way players so that Ward doesnt have to hide players with matchups. The ability is still there to break open a game.

The curse of expectations, but man Bennett is just dissapointing. I don't hate the guy, and I think coming back from his injury he is trying to figure out where he fits under Ward. I also think he can be a really good bottom six role player, built for the playoffs. I think I still held out hope that he could be a Brayden Schenn and have a late career surge, but that ship I think has sailed. Its just dissapointing missing at 4th overall. When we hit pretty good with Monahan and Tkachuk for top 10 picks during the rebuild.

Also, Brodie has been really impressive since he came back after that scare, he seems to always play well against the Oilers. Its too bad he has a useless shot, wrister and slapper. If he was a shooting threat at all, he would be a really dynamic offensive player.

I have been of the opinion for a while that the Flames need to maximize value and move on from Brodie, and re-sign Hamonic. I thought Hamonic was trending up. Not anymore, what you see is what you get from Hamonic. Brodie has his warts but I think he brings more value to the team than Hamonic. Biggest issue is that I think Hamonic is going to leave in the offseason without the Flames getting anything in return. Unless Treliving can pull off some crazy wizardry, you can't deal Hamonic is they are in the playoffs. You have to keep him. I think the Flames will slide in as a middle seed, keep Hamonic for the playoffs, and he will leave as a UFA in the summer.

[really?]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Due to the offensive struggles early on it hasn’t been talked about a lot, but it’s also because of the improved defensive play and skating from Monahan.

He has grown as a player this year.

Monahan is having his best year as a Flame. He's more physical and demanding the attention of opponents. People worried about his stats need to look at the entirety of his game. He's gone through some rough patches developing a two way game, but his efforts are noticeable. It's not a question of whether you can win with him as a 2C, he helps you win playing the game as he is now.

When he was scoring more, he was simply occupying fruitful areas of the ice, kind of like James Neal. He has a lot more game than that and now he's showing it. Future captain at this pace.

[schteve_d]

What a fun game to be at! I don't get to a lot of games in Edmonton and this was our first at the new arena. To Greaser fans credit, it was all good-natured banter with us in our Flames jerseys. The fans around us were fun. Only one guy was an ####### in the concourse but not a big deal. I've been to many games in Vancouver in my Flames jerseys and fans there were a lot more ignorant.

New arena is nice. LONG bathroom lines but the beer lines weren't too bad. Crazy expensive though! Can't remember the name of the place but they sold prime rib sandwiches. Four beer and two sandwiches was $77!

That 11 second goal was just too fun!

Edit: googled it. Concession is called Alberta Cuts.

[Kovaz]

Originally Posted by sa226

The curse of expectations, but man Bennett is just dissapointing. I don't hate the guy, and I think coming back from his injury he is trying to figure out where he fits under Ward. I also think he can be a really good bottom six role player, built for the playoffs. I think I still held out hope that he could be a Brayden Schenn and have a late career surge, but that ship I think has sailed. Its just dissapointing missing at 4th overall. When we hit pretty good with Monahan and Tkachuk for top 10 picks during the rebuild.

One thing I will say in Bennett's defence: He played the most minutes against McDavid of any Flames forward (6:16 TOI), and held him to 0 scoring chances and a 25% expected goals. That's a damn solid game from your 4th line center.

[transplant99]

wrong thread

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Flames Fan, Ph.D.

I'm not sure how you fix that team.

If I was Tippett, I would have lost my mind at that first goal, run down to get on the zamboni and crash it through the boards to chase RNH around the ice until I swept him up and discarded him outside.

Trade McDavid

[schteve_d]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Trade McDavid

I think they trade Draisatl. They can get a good return for him and try to build around McDavid. The fans would revolt if they traded the Golden Boy.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by Kovaz

One thing I will say in Bennett's defence: He played the most minutes against McDavid of any Flames forward (6:16 TOI), and held him to 0 scoring chances and a 25% expected goals. That's a damn solid game from your 4th line center.

If you read the GT, Bennett is the worst and is not an NHL player. People need a fall guy even in great games like last night.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Flames Fan, Ph.D.

I'm not sure how you fix that team.

If I was Tippett, I would have lost my mind at that first goal, run down to get on the zamboni and crash it through the boards to chase RNH around the ice until I swept him up and discarded him outside.

The simple answer is they can't, not without the amount of time that the fans and maybe even McDavid would accept


Cap Situation

This year they are right up against the Cap, with about $680,000 in space left to play with. Not enough for them to make a bold move to address their needs which is at least another top 6 forward, a top 2 puck moving defensemen and a legitimate backup goaltender. More likely they need at 2 top 6 forwards, a top pairing and a consistent starting goaltender. Plus a revamp of their bottom of lineup.



It gets worse next year. The Oilers have 6 Forwards, 3 defensemen and one over paid goalie under contract for 10 players with about $24 million in cap space for 12 players minimum.



Their line up would look like this



Draisaitl McDavid XXXXXXX
XXXXX RNH XXXXXXX
XXXXX XXXXX Neal
Khaira XXXXX XXXXXXX


XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX
Klefbom Larssson
XXXXXXX Russell


XXXXXXXX
Koskinen


If their RFA's they need to resign Nurse who will be at least $6 million bucks. Jones probably around $ 2 million and Bear at $2 million. So that reduces their cap space down to $13 million bucks and they would still need to fill the top pairing and 7 forward slots including two top 6 wingers and a starting goalie.



Their cap situation for this year and next year is dire.


Trades


With 10 UFA's and falling fortunes, you'd think this would be a great year to be sellers, but if those UFA's are named Gagner, Granlund, Khaira, ARchibald, Haas, Nygard, Sheahan and Patrick Russell and Manning. They can't expect to get team changing assets. And selling them has little effect on their cap situation.



The smart sells would be Kassian, though I think most GM's know that he's a product of McDavid. The other smart trade would be Nurse, and RNH, but I don't think that RNH is enough of a game changer at his salary to change the franchise fortunes.


The other UFA is Mike Smith, but he's untradable.



The Oilers don't have much in terms of trade assets to jump start this franchise. I would count Nurse, their first round pick and either Yamamoto or Bouchard, if they want to make a playoff push.


The farm


Is frankly deplorable. They don't have much down there that is better then what they have up here. Yamamoto is sliding into bust ville. He's too small, gets injured too often and doesn't really light things up. Bouchard hasn't been great, but the criticism of him is that he's a poor skater in a skating man's game. He's probably headed to becoming a PP specialist and a mid pairing guy. Not a top pairing game changer. As well their goaltending on the farm has been terrible. There's no help coming there.


The obvious

This team is 10 years or more into multiple rebuilds that have been busts due to poor scouting and poor development. I refuse to blame the coaching. They've had coaches with very good reputations over the last few years except for Eakins with the same results.



The obvious is that besides the above mentioned organizational flaws, there is almost what seems to be a leadership vacuum on that team. It continually stops buying in on any kind of defensive strategy. Its a team with no identity except to get trophies for its captain. Its a team that quits way too easily.


What they should do


A complete tear down and painful rebuild. They've just hired a new GM, its the perfect time to do it. Tell your fans that you're burning this thing to the ground and that they should be excited not by the product on the ice, but the excitement of draft parties and trades, and the whole future potential thing.



The two X-factors are the two best players, do they have the patience for a 3 to 4 year hard core restructure. I'm convinced that Draisaitl isn't a guy that you should be paying 8.5 million dollars for. He can't drive his own line as a center. And he's pretty much a complimentary player with a one way game. However he's the guy that could bring back a ton of assets for the future, though to trade him the Oilers will have to accept some contract balancing.



McDavid is tougher, what do you do if you tell him that your goal is to take 3 or 4 years to build a proper team around him and he doesn't have the patience. I think there are factors working against trading them and one of them is that I think GM's are waking up to the cap situation of having a $12 million dollar player on your roster. That player better be a really well rounded super star player. Connor isn't a really well rounded player, and we might be surprised at what the Oilers would get back for him. I'm not saying it would be a poor player or return, and it would allow the Oilers to balance their future team. But there would be some serious warts on that trade.


The ultra effect.


The fans. . . . Katz got his palace and the Oilers have stunk out the place to the point where we're seeing a lot of empty seats in the building as the ticket costs and the costs of a night out in a depressed provincial economy and boring and terrible hockey are driving down the value of going to a game just to see a shiny new building. In otherwords Virginia, the bloom is off the rose. Now if you put out another Dear Oilers fans, we're rebuilding and we might be good in a few years and sorry but everyone is one the table. we might see attendance plummet to the levels not seen since the Pockington days when the building was half empty.



Conclusion


There's no easy fix, its going to hurt and stretch out the pain for a half decade depending on Hollands competency. The Oilers have shot themselves not only in the foot, but both feet, their left hand, their genitalia and probably their face due to stupidity, arrogance and incompetence. And no Kevin, nobody would trade their roster for yours. It can be fixed with a wrecking ball, fire, time and a plan, something that Oiler fans and their top roster players might not have the patience to watch and spend money on.