Sure, Barkov is amazing. In fact he's playing about as good as anyone has over a stretch of games in many, many years.
But to completely shut down all that so called talent?
What I think really is the problem is that again you have one dimensional players who suddenly can't actually perform because they've run into a team playing a very good systematic defensive game. But then again we all know that in the playoffs defense & goaltending wins. So yes the Oilers got this far with their PP, but if you can't play a solid rounded game top to bottom, eventually the one part of your game that has brought you this far is going to fail and you'll lose.
And that is the underlying issue to me with their entire team. Tons of talent, but a lot of individual approaches to how the game works. No structure, no discipline, no we win as a team approach.
It’s what they do. And they don’t get it, and never will.
There is no x and o team strategy. They have two tiers of players. The second tier players are only there to kill time while the top tier players rest, until they are desperate. Then the second tier players’ job is, as the ref with the hot mic said “(Edmonton…) sit down”
They pulled the goalie in game 2 with just under 7 minutes left and played the same group of 6 guys for the next 4 minute mega shift until they gave up the empty netter
Games 1 and 3, only one line saw the ice the last 2 minutes. In fact, the last 5 minutes, I think the usual suspects played all 5 min less one (shorter) shift.
A dozen guys who were good enough to make it to the NHL being told that it’s now an important part of the game, to sit down and wait while the big boys are on, until a McGoal is scored.
Maurice will obviously prefer the Barkov matchup, when he can get it, but can trust other players against them. The Oilers players on the ice get tired and frustrated, and the ones on the bench know that when push comes to shove, they aren’t of any use
Foegele, Broberg, McLeod - thanks for making it 4-3. The big boys will take it from here.
The panel talks about Knob’s decisions that always come up roses. Nope. He’s the same as every other coach that they’ve burned through. Ice one loaded up line. Just less smug than the howdy doody guy.
There is no way that locker room could be any good. The only x and o’s to be found are in the toxic tiering
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It is hilarious that Mcdavid is being gifted assists on these goals. How can he not look at the team and say "well I'm clearly doing my part, get me out of here"
I live in Ontario these days and people don’t understand why I’m not cheering for Edmonton. “BUT AT LEAST A TEAM FROM ALBERTA WILL WIN”. Don’t care. They don’t get it. #### Edmonton
Hahaha, boy can I relate to this! I know exactly what you are talking about!
A sweep would be ideal for the additional reason that it wipes out any ideas in Draisaitl's mind that maybe they could win with that team in Edmonton. It will clearly illustrate he needs to move on if he really wants to win.
And then we get to watch how they recklessly spend that newfound cap space to convince Connor to stay.
That whole defensive corps excluding Ekholm and Broberg was like what Gretzky would call Mickey Mouse! That's gotta be the worse defensive personnel on one team I've seen: Ceci, Kulak, Nurse (total idiotic), and the cross-eyed Bouchard. All of them are lazy, careless, and puck watching. Then, there's the reliance on pretty much 4 forwards, who are currently shut down. No other players are stepping up in any way.
Oh well, this will be a sweep and unfortunately, another year goes by without a Canadian team bringing home the Cup. Pains me to see the ship bailers hoist the cup on Saturday.
I have several Coilers fans around me, and all they can talk about is "how much better the Oilers are playing than the Panthers" and that "The Panthers are just getting all the breaks and bounces"
and I can't help but think..."Are you watching a different hockey game than I am?" The Coiles are getting absolutely worked on EVERYTHING. It's not even close.
This can only just go to confirm that Edmonton fans don't know SFA about hockey in the first place.
They think Conna doing laps around the outside for 1/3 of the game and dumping it to Crosseye at the point for a weakybomb is playing good.
They have no ability to recognize the absolute defensive clinic the Panthers are putting on.
I live in Ontario these days and people don’t understand why I’m not cheering for Edmonton. “BUT AT LEAST A TEAM FROM ALBERTA WILL WIN”. Don’t care. They don’t get it. #### Edmonton
Its brutal.
I want a Canadian Team to win the Cup. The Calgary Flames. And only the Calgary Flames.
__________________ The Beatings Shall Continue Until Morale Improves!
This Post Has Been Distilled for the Eradication of Seemingly Incurable Sadness.
The World Ends when you're dead. Until then, you've got more punishment in store. - Flames Fans
If you thought this season would have a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention.
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Is CHED always this bad? I'm listening to the morning replay now and they are all over the place. Literally straight up saying the Oilers need the PP to be effective. That they are in tough to win 4 in a row, but "none of those other 0-3 teams had Connor". Hanging up on every caller who goes against the grain. Some dude from Okotoks called saying trading RNH for D help might be useful and he was immediately hung up on. Hilarious. What a mess.
The first guy they dropped is the same Canucks fan that has trolled them twice in the past month and they recognized his voice on his 3rd call.
The Okotoks guy dropped an F bomb and they immediately dropped him not sure if that was edited out of the recording they posted.
That said the CHED show overall is pretty horrible compared to Steinbergs overtime.
Message on HF and Reddit oiler board is consistent: It’s all Skinner’s fault. He is not stealing them any games…
I heard this from a coworker this morning and I feel like I'm going crazy here...weren't Oilers fans just saying a round or two ago that they can overcome goaltending with elite scoring and solid defense?
I can't stand Oilers fans' excuses. They can't ever give the other team credit. They had an easy route to the finals compared to Florida and somehow they're the better team? In what world does LA, Vancouver, Dallas hold up in the same sentence as Tampa, Boston, Rangers? It's not always bad puck luck, it's not always reffing, it's not always "letting them in". You're allowed to say they're simply better. Ugh.
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Who knew consistently playing your top two forwards 30 minutes a night will eventually wear them down huh? Draisaitl looks like he's running on fumes. McDavid's lucky he's still young, but even he looks gassed most nights.
Come on Florida. Finish off these losers tomorrow and put an end to this crappy time line. I want to start enjoying all the off season stuff with the draft and Flames summer camps. I can't even do that knowing Oilers are still playing right now.
I question this as well.
Makes you wonder if it makes sense to have a single PP unit that plays all 2 min of every PP, then on top of that double or triple shifting them throughout the game, and then on top of that usually putting them on for 3 min straight towards the end of the game.
