How much longer do you think the Oilers will be this bad for?

[Joker]

Originally Posted by Rhettzky

I know you said over 6 foot but Backlund, Horak, and Tanguay are all 6'-0". Not small guys by any stretch of the imagination.

It's not always about height either. Cervenka and Stempniak are both 5'-11" and a very solid 200lbs. Matt Stajan may be 2 inches taller but plays a much smaller game than either of them.

The only real small guys in our top nine as it stands right now are Baertschi and Cammalleri. Not too bad in my opinion.

The problem with our "big guys" in the top 9 is that they play like a bumch of 5 foot 5 Nancys despite having some size. If the flames matched up with the Kings in a playoff series, 3/4 of the team would probably be injured after 3 games.

[EldrickOnIce]

Originally Posted by Joker

If the flames matched up with the Kings in a playoff series, 3/4 of the team would probably be injured after 3 games.

you need to go to the RNH thread and you will see that size has nothing to do with injuries...

[robaur]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

Lol. You're a funny guy (not intentionally I don't think). You hype up one Russian prospect ahead of prospects who are clearly more impressive while trashing the Oilers picks to a point where Flames fans have to step in to tell you you're underrating them to a ridiculous degree.

Moon isn't an Oiler apologist. You are just very clearly out of touch with reality when it comes to Oilers players and prospects for the 2013 draft. This has become obvious.

How am I underrating Oilers pathetic #1 overall picks?

The Flames are all types of terrible and icing an AHL team and still will have more ROW wins than the Oilers this year.

That's pretty sad.

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

There is just no objectivity in your posts. No acknowledgement of reality. In your world Malkin>Crosby, Nichuskin=Malkin, RNH=bust, MacKinnon/Drouin=not possible franchise players and other such rubbish that clearly is not true.

Malkin doesn't get as much coverage or hype as Crosby because he isn't Canadian. Yes, you can say Crosby is the better player, but I prefer Malkin's play style more than Crosby....so in my world....Malkin>Crosby....and Nichchuskin has the potential to be like Malkin because I see the very similarities as I did in Malkin's play style....RNH IS A BUST....already done 2 SEASONS!!!! Getting shoulder surgery...the kid is way too weak...see Erik Johnson..he will never be the same.....

Mackinnon/Drouin might not be franchise players...there's always a risk...I would take them over Nichu still but if they are off the board....there is no other player I would rather take.

[Kaine]

Originally Posted by Joker

The problem with our "big guys" in the top 9 is that they play like a bumch of 5 foot 5 Nancys despite having some size. If the flames matched up with the Kings in a playoff series, 3/4 of the team would probably be injured after 3 games.

I can only assume you were never taught the difference between NHL teams and have mistakenly assumed the Oilers were the Flames all these years. A lot of the Flames young forwards have been playing fairly physical the past few weeks since the team was blown up and do not look that out of place compared to other teams. Take a look at the last game we had against the Ducks if you need some actual proof. By your logic Getzlaf and Perry should have ground our top two lines into dust, didn't really seem to be the case.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by Rhettzky

I know you said over 6 foot but Backlund, Horak, and Tanguay are all 6'-0". Not small guys by any stretch of the imagination.

It's not always about height either. Cervenka and Stempniak are both 5'-11" and a very solid 200lbs. Matt Stajan may be 2 inches taller but plays a much smaller game than either of them.

The only real small guys in our top nine as it stands right now are Baertschi and Cammalleri. Not too bad in my opinion.

Hudler is tiny as well. So our biggest forwards are around average in size. And we have a few below average sized forwards (Baertschi, Cammalleri, Hudler.) Average it out and you get below average. The Oiler fan is right. Our top 9 is below average in size and grit. We desperately need some size and strength on our scoring lines.

Having 3 small forwards in our top 9 might be okay if we had some huge guys offsetting them but we don't.

[robaur]

I ran into Eberle and RNH once...the guys are friggin scrawny midgets. I was so surprised that they were that good at the NHL level...they were THAT small....dont know how they dont get destroyed physically at the NHL level.

[Joker]

Originally Posted by Kaine

I can only assume you were never taught the difference between NHL teams and have mistakenly assumed the Oilers were the Flames all these years. A lot of the Flames young forwards have been playing fairly physical the past few weeks since the team was blown up and do not look that out of place compared to other teams. Take a look at the last game we had against the Ducks if you need some actual proof. By your logic Getzlaf and Perry should have ground our top two lines into dust, didn't really seem to be the case.

Should clarify. I meant the Backlunds Tanguays Chervenkas,(sorry I can never remember how to spell that one), Stajans. Im loving the play of Hunowski, Reinhart, etc.

Edit:

You are also talking about a playoff bound, un-inspired Ducks team. Even before the team was dismantled, when they had Iginla up front, and the games mattered more to LA, Anaheim, the Flames looked like boys playing men.

[Erick Estrada]

At the end of the day you are what your record says you are and the Oilers are once again amongst the league's worst teams. Nothing really to dispute here. Oilers got a lot of breaks this season as well. What happens next year if the goaltending drops off or they get hit with the usual amount of injuries? It's not out of the question that the Oilers finish 30th next season. It really isn't.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by robaur

I ran into Eberle and RNH once...the guys are friggin scrawny midgets. I was so surprised that they were that good at the NHL level...they were THAT small....dont know how they dont get destroyed physically at the NHL level.

Based on your posting history you seem to think size is everything and skill means nothing.

That just isn't reality in the NHL.

[moon]

Originally Posted by robaur

How am I underrating Oilers pathetic #1 overall picks?

The Flames are all types of terrible and icing an AHL team and still will have more ROW wins than the Oilers this year.

That's pretty sad.

The Flames will have more ROW wins than TB does that make Stamkos a pathetic #1 overall pick? St. Louis a terrible player?

How about Carolina and Eric Staal?

Malkin doesn't get as much coverage or hype as Crosby because he isn't Canadian. Yes, you can say Crosby is the better player, but I prefer Malkin's play style more than Crosby....so in my world....Malkin>Crosby....and Nichchuskin has the potential to be like Malkin because I see the very similarities as I did in Malkin's play style....RNH IS A BUST....already done 2 SEASONS!!!! Getting shoulder surgery...the kid is way too weak...see Erik Johnson..he will never be the same.....

Malkin doesn't get as much coverage or hype because he isn't as good as Crosby. He doesn't score at as high a pace, he isn't as good defensively and he isn't as good all around player. That is no insult as Crosby is the best player in the game. There isn't some BS conspiracy theory against Malkin.

Already done? He is getting shoulder surgery he is far from done.

[moon]

Originally Posted by robaur

I ran into Eberle and RNH once...the guys are friggin scrawny midgets. I was so surprised that they were that good at the NHL level...they were THAT small....dont know how they dont get destroyed physically at the NHL level.

Well if you ran into them once and think they are "scrawny midgets" who needs to waste time watching them play they are clearly busts!

[robaur]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

Based on your positing history you seem to think size is everything and skill means nothing.

That just isn't reality in the NHL.

It means that it's pretty self-explanatory why the Oilers are the worst 5 on 5 team in the league and will never have any success in the playoffs with those players. You need size to have success at both of those.

So size is more important than skill.

Example: Boston Bruins beat Vancouver Canucks.......Canucks were more skilled.

Example: LA Kings playoff run last year...they were by far not the most skilled team in the playoffs....

Size and strength wins out at the end because...at the end of the day....this is still a game of guts, and physical strength/endurance.

[Kaine]

Originally Posted by Joker

Should clarify. I meant the Backlunds Tanguays Chervenkas,(sorry I can never remember how to spell that one), Stajans. Im loving the play of Hunowski, Reinhart, etc.

Backlund has been more than fine physically. If you watch him the dude hardly gets hit because he is so good at knowing where to position himself to avoid having someone that would crush him be able to do so while still keeping himself in prime scoring area's.

Chervenka hasn't played enough to be considered one way or the other but honestly what gives you the idea that he would be anything but fine as he has been all season when he has played?

Tanguay injured himself on a freak fall into the boards did he not? I didn't see that particular game so I'm not sure but I don't think his size had anything to do with it.

Rip on Stajan all you want but the has been a piece of iron this season. Takes cheapshot hits to the head, questionable blindside hits and just plain gets beat on by everyone and keeps going like it doesn't even phase him. What more do you want from the guy?

Sorry I just don't understand the "logic" you are trying to base your argument on.

[moon]

The "lack of skill" with the Kings is very overrated.

Kopitar, Richards, Carter are all very skilled forwards, Doughty is as skilled as any d-man in the league, Quick is as skilled as any goalie when he is on and last year he was definitely on.

The Kings depth in being able to roll 4 lines against any of the other teams lines involves skill not just size. McGrattan, Jackman and Begin is a fairly "big" and roughly the same size as the Clifford, Nolan Fraser 4th line for the Kings and yet they would get killed if routinely facing the top 6 of play-offs team.

Detroit won plenty of games against teams much bigger and stronger without any trouble.

Size and Strength help but skill beats it with ease. If you don't have skill you will not win in the NHL.

[old-fart]

Originally Posted by Stay Golden

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/e...-for-playoffs/

This Principe article is great. Not only does he say the Oilers will make the playoffs, but he says they will be top 5 in scoring and that they have the best "top 2 lines in the league".

More horrible expectations set by ridiculous fan boys masquerading as reporters. The Coilers are not noticably better tthan last year, are one of if not the absolute worst team in the league offensively 5 on 5, and are being exposed yet again for what they really are - a crappy team and organization that is going nowhere. I look forward to Principe's article in training camp next year when he yet again tries to convince the sheep this joke of a team will be anything better than struggling to avoid another "top 5 finish". The sad thing is most of the players don't even seem to be embarased by this...

Pathetic.

[Kaine]

Originally Posted by robaur

It means that it's pretty self-explanatory why the Oilers are the worst 5 on 5 team in the league and will never have any success in the playoffs with those players. You need size to have success at both of those.

So size is more important than skill.

Example: Boston Bruins beat Vancouver Canucks.......Canucks were more skilled.

Example: LA Kings playoff run last year...they were by far not the most skilled team in the playoffs....

Size and strength wins out at the end because...at the end of the day....this is still a game of guts, and physical strength/endurance.

Couldn't be more wrong. Both are very important, equally even. If you are going to cherry pick examples at least pick some that disprove your claim as well. Chicago winning the cup a few years back? Were they even close to the strongest or most physical team in the playoffs? How about the Pens? The Wings? None of them were even close to being the strongest or most physical teams.

[moon]

Originally Posted by Kaine

Backlund has been more than fine physically. If you watch him the dude hardly gets hit because he is so good at knowing where to position himself to avoid having someone that would crush him be able to do so while still keeping himself in prime scoring area's.

Chervenka hasn't played enough to be considered one way or the other but honestly what gives you the idea that he would be anything but fine as he has been all season when he has played?

Tanguay injured himself on a freak fall into the boards did he not? I didn't see that particular game so I'm not sure but I don't think his size had anything to do with it.

Rip on Stajan all you want but the has been a piece of iron this season. Takes cheapshot hits to the head, questionable blindside hits and just plain gets beat on by everyone and keeps going like it doesn't even phase him. What more do you want from the guy?

Sorry I just don't understand the "logic" you are trying to base your argument on.

Backlund has been better but as much as everyone wants to overrate him he still gets pushed around physically. Cerevenka has been far from fine when
playing this year and not a strong or physical player at all. Tanguay is certainly not big or strong. Stajan has been at best average in terms of strength/physicality this year.

I would assume the logic is that the Flames forwards are below average, if not bottom of the league, when it comes to size, strength, physicality etc.

[robaur]

Originally Posted by moon

The "lack of skill" with the Kings is very overrated.

Kopitar, Richards, Carter are all very skilled forwards, Doughty is as skilled as any d-man in the league, Quick is as skilled as any goalie when he is on and last year he was definitely on.

The Kings depth in being able to roll 4 lines against any of the other teams lines involves skill not just size. McGrattan, Jackman and Begin is a fairly "big" and roughly the same size as the Clifford, Nolan Fraser 4th line for the Kings and yet they would get killed if routinely facing the top 6 of play-offs team.

Detroit won plenty of games against teams much bigger and stronger without any trouble.

Size and Strength help but skill beats it with ease. If you don't have skill you will not win in the NHL.

So when give 2 players with pretty much equivalent skill in Mackinnon and Nichuchkin...why not go with the bigger player....

[moon]

Originally Posted by robaur

So when give 2 players with pretty much equivalent skill in Mackinnon and Nichuchkin...why not go with the bigger player....

Because I don't think they have pretty much equivalent skill and size isn't the only factor. Position would be a consideration, off ice intangibles would be a consideration and signability would be a HUGE consideration in terms of these two guys.

But since MacKinnon is more talented then it isn't even close to a decision of taking the guy who is bigger.

[Kaine]

Originally Posted by moon

Backlund has been better but as much as everyone wants to overrate him he still gets pushed around physically. Cerevenka has been far from fine when
playing this year and not a strong or physical player at all. Tanguay is certainly not big or strong. Stajan has been at best average in terms of strength/physicality this year.

I would assume the logic is that the Flames forwards are below average, if not bottom of the league, when it comes to size, strength, physicality etc.

Who didn't say Backlund gets pushed around. I simply stated that his size has been far from a problem for him. He is getting the job done despite not being the strongest player on the ice. Cervenka has looked fine in the sense that his lack of physical play hasn't been the cause of his problems whatsoever, if you want to talk about him not being good enough in general, well that is another discussion all together. Nobody claimed Tanguay was big or strong, you were the first to bring it up as far as I can see. Big difference between being able to hold your own and being "big and strong". Stajan has never been a punishing player, he has filled his roll this year and done far better than many of us expected him to do despite receiving a number of questionable hits. Seems like he's doing fine "despite playing like a 5 foot 5 nancy" to me.