[GDT] 2020 WC Play-In Round: Edmonton Oilers(5) vs Chicago Blackhawks(12) Blackhawks 3-1!!!

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Robbob

Was thinking the same thing. Has Broberg passed him?

Absolutely has passed Bouchard, but I think there are questions around whether Bouchard is anything more then a pp specialist at the NHL level, and Broberg is anything more then a mid pairing blueliner.


Watching the series and listening to Edmonton fans rage is almost like the greatest thing ever.


Issues


Compete level


Oiler fans say - Tippet isn't motivating the players properly, its all his fault. The Oilers discipline is terrible, that's on Tippet too.


Captain Crunch says - Wrong, both aspects are on the leadership group on that roster. As much as people over romanticize coaches based on movies, there's not a big motivational speech that works consistently with coaches, and a coach that has to make glory speeches at the start of ever game gets tuned out.



Survey says - Oiler fans as they often are, are completely off base.


Goaltending


Oiler fans say - Smith was awful, game one is on him, Koskinan will save us, he's far better.


Captain Crunch says - Come on man, outside of the wanderer goal, Smith was ok in game 1, he was abandoned by his team and probably has PTSD from som many this guy scored moments. Koskinana was ok in game 2, but he was poor in game 3 and never looked comfortable


Survey says - Are Oiler fans watching the game or following the script?


Penalties


Oiler fans say - "Marsha Marsha Marsha". The league is actively screwing us, the penalty calls against the Oilers are outrageous, and we're not getting enough power plays


Captain Crunch says - When you watch last nights game, out of the 6 penalties against the Oilers 5 were really deserved and highlighted a lack of discipline, something Flames fans know about. This isn't on the coach, coaches can preach discipline all day long, but its up to the team leaders to enforce that discipline. The fact that the Oilers in their post game and even the organization on social media are whining about it, tells me that its in their head now.


The verdict - There's no conspiracy to get the Oilers or handicap them. This is poor leadership period.


Depth


Oiler fans say - McDavid and Draisaitl are carrying this team, but the rest have been underwhelming.


CaptainCrunch - I agree, but this isn't something new. Take away McDavid and Draisaitl and you have a fairly talented AHL team. But there are serious holes showing in McDavid and Draisaitl's games despite their gaudy stats. Draisaitl shows that he's still a 8 million dollar complimentary player with a lot of brain farts and baffling decisions with the puck. Neither Draisaitl or McDavid are all that helpful in terms of their play without the puck.


Verdict - Oiler fans are right and wrong. Good playoff leaders are good without the puck while supplying offense.


The Oilers can over come this


Oiler fans say - "We're so winning this series, they just need to fix a few things


Captain Crunch says - It feels unlikely, the things that haunted them in the regular season. Poor defensive coverage , poor 5v5 play and lack of depth that was starting to really show in the last week or so of their regular season, but were covered up by special teams that I still believe are going to be unsustainable before long. These are things that don't seem to be fixable and I'm sure that Tippet isn't preaching or teaching that sloppy defensive play, and he's certainly not telling Draisaitl to keep giving away the puck or McDavid to float around lost without the puck. The issues above, aren't systematic, but they are somewhat fatal.


The Verdict - I don't think its fixable in the short term, but Oilers are already pumping for the number 1 pick as something that's deserved. They can keep adding number 1 picks but in the long run, they have a strong lack of leadership and accountability in that room, and if they get that first round pick it needs to be spent on defense.


Hawks in 4, they blow out the Oilers in the first period

[SofaProfessor]

Oilers proving the NHL isn't like the NBA. You can't win it all with a studs and scrubs lineup. Especially when those studs can't do things other than score points at a high level. To paraphrase the ominous quote from Chernobyl on HBO, "Every superstar we sign incurs a debt to the 3rd line."

[TheIronMaiden]

Any hockey fan knows that the key to deep runs in the playoffs is a hot goalie. Anyone who watched this year saw that the Oilers weak point was in net.

This is not a surprise.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

Any hockey fan knows that the key to deep runs in the playoffs is a hot goalie. Anyone who watched this year saw that the Oilers weak point was in net.

This is not a surprise.

The Oilers are not losing this series because of poor goaltending. Granted, their goalies have not been great, but the team as a whole has looked like a disaster in their own zone and at even strength.

Anyone who watched this year saw that the Oilers achilles heel was always their lack of depth and their impossible dependency on special teams. Their placement in the standings when the season was mercifully suspended was a mirage, and completely unsustainable. It is entirely likely that had they played out the last ten games, they would not have made the playoffs.

[sempuki]

nm

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

I shouldn’t be surprised but seeing the official Oilers twitter account whining about the refs is pretty ridiculous. Leave that for the fans and media.

It looks good on them.

I actually think the oilers radio pbp is pretty talented in their game calls (really good vocal intensity at key times) but over the course of the game they kept saying the refs "owed" them calls. They even went as far as to say "look for some make up calls coming the oilers way". I think at one point they said they expected a 5 on 3 coming for the oilers to make up for the Chicago 5 on 3. I mean, really?

Finding they frequently take the league/officials owe them something slant.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by sempuki

It's always bothered me that what appears to be a "very talented AHL team", especially on D -- in my personal estimation -- has been able to give Calgary fits in the past couple years...

Uh, they haven't.

Since the start of 2018 the Flames have a 7-3-1 record v. Edmonton. In that time Edmonton has won three games in regulation: one of which was a meaningless end-of-season tilt where the Flames rested half their starting lineup for the playoffs.

Edmonton is no good.

[TheIronMaiden]

Moreover, another one of those loses was closer to a bar fight than a hockey game.

[GioforPM]

I don’t think the Oil have given Calgary fits - over the last 10 years only one losing season to them and usually lopsided. Including this season.

[Rejean31]

Originally Posted by sempuki

It's always bothered me that what appears to be a "very talented AHL team", especially on D -- in my personal estimation -- has been able to give Calgary fits in the past couple years. Last night I focused on the Oilers exclusively, and especially their D. Here's my uncultured and uneducated opinion on how it's even possible for that team to beat an NHL team with so little:

tl;dr:
1. McDavid
2. Draisaitl

Team speed: Connor sets the pace for everyone, and when Cgy loses to Edm it's because they refuse to keep pace with their legs. Just as happened against the Avs and McKinnon.

Team confidence: Everyone knows that when the chips are down the game plan is always the same: give Connor the puck. There's no room for indecision or doubt. They know at any given moment he is able to pull off a highlight reel move, so they never stop trying stretch passes to fleeing forwards.

Stretch pass: Edm is better able to do what Cgy has success with the first few years with Hartley, because Edm now is a faster team then Cgy is now. Teams give Connor more respect and back off, making room for the D to throw the just thing up ice. This explains how an endless parade of mediocre "Giordanos" is able appear NHL capable -- the only game plan is "lob the puck up ice".

Lunch pale support: stretch passes don't get picked off as often because forwards not named Connor backcheck down low. You have to because if you don't you can be replaced with any random AHL call up. Your job is to skate, and backcheck, and cycle -- and shoot if the puck happens to be on your stick -- and nothing more. You simply exist to fill time before Connor or Leon come back on the ice.

Rope-a-dope offense: watching Edm play now is like watching any other Tippet team -- they appear to be doing nothing what so ever most of the time, until suddenly the D is lulled to sleep, make a mistake, and someone is there to capitalize. Leon makes a seemingly impossible seam pass, or Connor elevates the puck in close at high speed, and boom -- you're wondering how that just happened.

Leon stirs the drink: Connor really only has one trick: moves in close at high speed. Leon looks like he's doing nothing, except he holds onto the puck really well, and has Thornton like passing accuracy. I don't think you need to even key in on Connor -- if you take away the guy doing the passing, keying in on Leon, then there's only so much damage Connor can do on his own.

Klefbom the QB: the only D player not just lobbing pucks up ice is Klefbom. He's actually capable of setting up real plays. Key in on him every time he's on the ice.

This whole post reeks of someone who is a closet Oiler fan!!

[Jacks]

I hope they switch back to Smith next game, Kostinem was actually really good last night. Watched the recap again and you can't pin any of those goals on him. 3 perfect deflections and 1 scramble in the crease with Nurse's big arse laying right in the way so he couldn't see the puck. Smith is probably good to let a muffin in early. Go Hawks!!

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Rejean31

This whole post reeks of someone who is a closet Oiler fan!!

Yeah, reading about all those stretch passes the Oilers defensemen complete with impunity is a little much. The Oilers have an endless laundry list of problems, but one of the most serious is how awful their entire blueline is at moving the puck.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Jacks

I hope they switch back to Smith next game, Kostinem was actually really good last night. Watched the recap again and you can't pin any of those goals on him. 3 perfect deflections and 1 scramble in the crease with Nurse's big arse laying right in the way so he couldn't see the puck. Smith is probably good to let a muffin in early. Go Hawks!!

No, he wasn't. He was fine, but after 60 mins he allowed eight pucks past him. If not for a comical number of posts that the Hawks continued to hit, last night's game was a blowout. I don't think he was particularly culpable any of the goals (although on the 5v3 goal he failed miserably to track the puck—that should never have gone in), but he also did nothing to put his team in a position to win.

Both of the Oilers goalies are at best marginal.

[1_Flames_Fan]

Oilers are losing cause of lack of depth. 1 goal when mcdrai aren't on the ice is nowhere near enough. Death to the greasers!

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

No, he wasn't. He was fine, but after 60 mins he allowed eight pucks past him. If not for a comical number of posts that the Hawks continued to hit, last night's game was a blowout.

Both of the Oilers goalies are at best marginal.

Kostkinens not a goalie. No goalie wears 19. He obviously a top line forward they just put the gear on and pretend he’s a goalie. Very Oilers.

[Bourque's Twin]

Originally Posted by Jacks

I hope they switch back to Smith next game, Kostinem was actually really good last night. Watched the recap again and you can't pin any of those goals on him. 3 perfect deflections and 1 scramble in the crease with Nurse's big arse laying right in the way so he couldn't see the puck. Smith is probably good to let a muffin in early. Go Hawks!!

Smith being dressed in an elimination game in which they lose would be very joyous for us Flames fans.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Jacks

I hope they switch back to Smith next game, Kostinem was actually really good last night. Watched the recap again and you can't pin any of those goals on him. 3 perfect deflections and 1 scramble in the crease with Nurse's big arse laying right in the way so he couldn't see the puck. Smith is probably good to let a muffin in early. Go Hawks!!

I disagree, I don't think he ever looked comfortable last night and lots of pucks got behind him.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Bourque's Twin

Smith being dressed in an elimination game in which they lose would be very joyous for us Flames fans.

I think the most delicious point in this is that there is actual controversy taking place in Edmonton. In the 630 CHED post game last night there was real debate about which of the Oilers's hilariously awful goalies would start in Game #4.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I disagree, I don't think he ever looked comfortable last night and lots of pucks got behind him.

I think he looked pretty mediocre. Made a couple of Hail Mary saves that look good on paper, but not when you consider they were necessary because of the juicy rebounds he gave.

But in his defense, the Oilers do nothing to try and clear the front of the net for him. Pretty much all the goals he allowed last night were the result of either the Blackhawks crowding the front of the net uncontested, or being downright screened by one of his own players.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

I think Koskinen was generally fine. But that's all he should have to be in order for them to win. He's not there to steal games, he just has to not be the reason they lose. The thing with Smith is, he's a guy who CAN steal a game once in a while, but he can lose them on his own as well. I doubt they go back to Smith.