OT: Around the NHL: Go Cats Go

[AuroraBorealis]

Are they? They have 2 goals for and 1 goal against when playing together on a line with Hyman, as they have done for most of the series. This is nowhere near good enough when the rest of the team can't score in a brothel and they are playing against VAN's third goalie.

Yeah, they dominate the shot clock, hit posts, etc. but if they barely outscore the line matching against them, this is probably not going to end well for the Oilers, unless Ian Cole scores even more own goals.

Van's 3rd goalie is outplaying Edmonton's #1 goalie. Labels don't matter at this stage. Performance only.

Those are pretty standard disparities at even-strength through 3 games. It's a small sample. There's a limited number of ES goals that get scored per game, especially on individual lines.
If the series goes 7 and that ratio stays constant, that ends 4-2 or 5-2, which is totally fine.

Is it possible that splitting them up could lead to better results? Sure, but it's not at all a sure thing and potentially fatal as well.
Both lines might get bossed around, and then the Canucks would get more shots and high danger chances, and exploit Skinner even more.

They are the 2nd worst defensive team out of those left alive. That's the core problem here. Our focus should be directed there.

Offense is not why they're gonna lose, if they do.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

I mean, it's McDavid and Draisaitl's job to score. That's what they're paid to do, it's what they do best, it's how they're gonna win games for their team(s). It's up to their organization(s) to surround them with the talent they need to win, because Cups are a team achievement. Hockey's not basketball where one or two guys can simply will teams to championships. /shrug

I think it's pretty clear that the Oilers have failed those two time and time again.



That's wild, man. Holland should be stripped of his HHOF inductee status for what he's done after the Wings crumpled in like 2013 (which he helped ensure would last a decade or more ).

Maybe McDavid and Draisaitl are better than Sid and Geno ever were speaking in a purely offensive way. Maybe not. I don't think it's a wide enough margin to say definitively, given the difference in scoring nowadays to a decade ago, the loss of Sid's best years, and the respective talent each of the four guys have had on their lines. But McDrai won't win anything close to the three Cups or four Cup Finals appearances Sid and Geno had. /shrug

It's a pretty sizable margin when talking about averages over large samples. The scoring rate hasn't gone up that much, and it only really has in the last 3 years.
Anyways, everyone here knows deep down it's a team construction issue. It's not a McDrai issue. The only reason we're having this convo on this board is because people openly hate them (they say this all the time) and the Oilers, and they are unable to put their bias aside for a conversation. That goes for most, anyway.
They are just venting their satisfaction at them losing, and picking the targets who represent the team most. It's lazy and boring.

Maybe if guys like Bouchard could defend and didn't go -4 in a series vs Vegas last year, they could actually win.

 

[Icarium]

Van's 3rd goalie is outplaying Edmonton's #1 goalie.

Well, yeah, that's precisely why their superstar line needs to score more than a goal per game.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

McDavid getting the Crosby treatment with some cross checks to the face.

Awww!! Suck it up Buttercup.

Crosby dealt with It just fine.

 

[Darren McCord]

View attachment 870016

New rule for me. I'm not engage unless people verify their info. The laziness needs to stop.

K here are the last two games. Dudes both almost hit 30 min. They could have split them and iced one of them almost the whole game. If they are good enough to elevate their bum linemates then why not split them.

McDavid has 3 pts these playoffs that Drai didn't have a part of.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Well, yeah, that's precisely why their superstar line needs to score more than a goal per game.

That's not a realistic ask for any line. Teams are averaging 2.80 G/PG this playoffs, including special teams, overtime and empty netters.
An individual line is not gonna average 2 goals a game.

 

[Icarium]

That's not a realistic ask for any line. Teams are averaging 2.80 G/PG this playoffs, including special teams, overtime and empty netters.
An individual line is not gonna average 2 goals a game.

It's a line with two superstars in their prime plus the current playoffs leading goalscorer, playing against Tyler Myers and a third string goalie. 2 goals a game isn't such a big ask, with a bit of luck they would have had them already.

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

Gotta feel bad for Mcdrai, somehow only had horrendous GMs in Chia and Holland. Mcdavid scoring at almost 2 points per game should be a cheat code but Holland decided to pay a second pair guy like Nurse 9M lol.

I would then I remembered I don't care and proceed to crack open a beer and laugh.

 

[Ignatius]

The 2024 Oilers are like the 2012 Penguins if the Pens actually made it into the second round.

 

[eXile3]

I mean we probably could have won at least one more cup but compare what the Pens org did to help Geno/Sid to the Oilers.

Pens went out and got Hossa, EK, Kessel, Iginla. They were constantly trying to get the best available talent for the big guys.

I don’t think Edmonton has done the same. Yes our GMs screwed up as they all do. At least they went for it. McDavid is the last one who should be blamed if they don’t win.

 

[Darren McCord]

I mean we probably could have won at least one more cup but compare what the Pens org did to help Geno/Sid to the Oilers.

Pens went out and got Hossa, EK, Kessel, Iginla. They were constantly trying to get the best available talent for the big guys.

I don’t think Edmonton has done the same. Yes our GMs screwed up as they all do. At least they went for it. McDavid is the last one who should be blamed if they don’t win.

This is a big part. Edmonton keeps drafting 1rst round bust instead of trading those picks for established players.

They should have been making the Hagel trade not tampa. They should have got players who were ready to help now. They just keep drafting guys and doing it poorly.

 

[Turin]

I mean we probably could have won at least one more cup but compare what the Pens org did to help Geno/Sid to the Oilers.

Pens went out and got Hossa, EK, Kessel, Iginla. They were constantly trying to get the best available talent for the big guys.

I don’t think Edmonton has done the same. Yes our GMs screwed up as they all do. At least they went for it. McDavid is the last one who should be blamed if they don’t win.

Edmonton is a little more handicapped because they're only a destination insofar as people truly believe they can win there/there's a great culture there, but I agree I think a lot of it does come down to priorities that their GMs constantly fail to address too. Like why haven't they gotten a vet platoon for Skinner? Why did they spend assets on Henrique instead of going all in on someone better? Why, after having McDavid and Draisaitl for almost a decade have they only ever gone "all in" once and that was bringing in a #2 defenseman? Then there's the culture - why are we seeing McDrai together on one line again already? Why did McDavid just play 30 minutes in a regulation game?

 

[AuroraBorealis]

It's a line with two superstars in their prime plus the current playoffs leading goalscorer, playing against Tyler Myers and a third string goalie. 2 goals a game isn't such a big ask, with a bit of luck they would have had them already.

Enough with the "3rd string goalie" thing. He's .908 these playoffs. That's above the regular season median. That ranks 8th out of 26 goalies these playoffs.
He's gonna find an NHL job soon. He's 23 years old. The label is meaningless if the guy doesn't play at a 3rd stringer level. He's not playing like Domingue here.

It is a massive ask for 2 ES goals a game out of a line. Teams often don't even get 2 goals in a game these playoffs. I don't care if they're superstars. It's just the way numbers work. That's too much.
You want 14 ES goals from them in a 7 game series? Like, what?
So what then, they score the rest on the PP and L2-L4 and half the blue liners are given a pass to do nothing offensively the whole series? Do they even exist to you people here?
Or are the Oilers just comprised of 2 players?

 

[AuroraBorealis]

The Oilers rank 27th out of 30 teams in GA/G in playoffs since McDavid entered the playoffs for the first time, in 2017.
The 3 teams behind them had 15-40% of the Oilers' sample size. One of them is LA, who was unlucky enough to play against McDrai 3 years straight and got nuked by the 2 best active P/PG players in the playoffs.
They rank 2nd in GF/G in the same time frame. Second. Like, silver medal.

But yet, all most people here are capable of talking about in regards to Edmonton is offense in the playoffs and 2 Forwards for 8 years...like there's no other contributing factors to them losing.
It's actually incredible that people's views don't change when getting beaten over the head by what they see with their own 2 eyes, year after year. It's sad at this point.

 

[CascadiaPenguin]

The way McDavid chases the refs across the ice to bitch is pretty funny to me.

Also, damn near every clip online isn’t showing his two hander to Soucy that started that whole debacle.

He tapped Soucy in the leg in retaliation after Carson shoved him post-horn. Stupid to engage with a neanderthal after a tough loss, but was hardly the instigator. And McJesus certainly took the high road today:

"...said he "felt great" after the hit from Soucy. "It's a tough game," McDavid said. "They've got big D-men. They make it hard on you. They play physical -- a physical brand of hockey. It's fun to be a part of."

Disclaimer- In no way am I pulling for the Oilers, but I got sick of Soucy's shit watching him lose composure/cost the team playing for the Kraken.

 

[Gurglesons]

I mean we probably could have won at least one more cup but compare what the Pens org did to help Geno/Sid to the Oilers.

Pens went out and got Hossa, EK, Kessel, Iginla. They were constantly trying to get the best available talent for the big guys.

I don’t think Edmonton has done the same. Yes our GMs screwed up as they all do. At least they went for it. McDavid is the last one who should be blamed if they don’t win.

How about they just win a cup?

It's weird how people are excusing the Oilers. They've been a cup favorite all season. They have the depth to win a cup. Skinner had a .910 last series.

If McDavid and Drai are these Lemieux / Gretzky esque players they are framed as they can win now. They have RNH who was a 100+ pt player last season. They have Hyman who put up 50+ goals. They have an 80+ pt defenseman in Bouchard who is a top 5 defenseman this year.

Just win.

Also, like.. they are down 1-2. Why are we creating this weird narrative when they haven't even been put into a bad position yet.

 

[Al Smith]

Jake tries 5-hole on a breakaway and fails. He's been watching 87 too much.

And Kuzy takes a stupid O-zone penalty after Canes get momentum. 1-0 coming up.

Well crap - Canes PP shits the bed again.

 

[Darren McCord]

Carolina PP just watches the shorty. No one even moved when Aho fell over

 

[wheelz87]

I swear the rags get an odd man break every time they are short handed. They use zibanejad, kreider, trocheck… we use Jeff Carter and acciari

 

[Andy99]

The Canes have been a disappointment unfortunately…think they need anew coach

 

[CascadiaPenguin]

The Canes have been a disappointment unfortunately…think they need anew coach

Ronnie would be stoked to reunite with Rod the Bod.

 

[Turin]

Nuke screws his team over again.

 

[Andy99]

Staal looked good there…nice goal

 

[Andy99]

Damn…Kuzy with a goal…Canes pouring it on…good…I don’t know if they can win 4 in a row but it could be 2 after tonight

 

[End of Line]

3-1 keep it up Canes!