Post-Game Talk: Cli(e)nched

[Drivesaitl]

The Oilers started going to the middle of the ice more for their outlets after game 5 because the Canucks go-to play is to just seal the walls. That Desharnais pass was a good one and he was likely just doing what the system was instructing him to do. But sure it's 3-0 you can just go hard off the glass at that point if you want, I guess, but McLeod needs to be able to handle that.

But Nurse was completely open on other side and nobody on him. VD didn't even look or consider it. Nurse even wanted the pass. just saying.

The other option for VD there is eat puck. Yeah I get that theres been some adjustments on break out but as we agree with 3-0 lead and 9mins left just make the safe play. That passing to McLeod in slot was what the team considers safe play just speaks to his reliability and how much he's trusted in own zone.

No big deal. My concern, and Knobs, is that McLeod could be impacted by the play. I suspect he bounces back with his typical enthusiasm.

 

[McAsuno]

I f***ing love snarky Drai.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Oilers fired him as the assistant coach. He's had an axe to grind against the organization since then.

Thanks Frank. My memory isn't good enough to recall. I could've looked it up.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I f***ing love snarky Drai.

Sarcastic humor is high in Germanic peoples it seems. My whole family was loaded with it. Couldn't get by breakfast without a meal of it. You'd have to wake up pretty early in morning with the barbs flying around.

Obviously I inherited or learned this as well. growing up with so much satire, and then when Monty Python came on it was like "this is our program!. Whole family loved it.

 

[Little Fury]

Yeah. The board wasn't ready to hear this last night. But I didn't even like the pass going to him there in the slot. Part of what possibly contributed to his fanned pass was pressure coming in a vulnerable area.

Vinnie has the puck clean behind net. Theres 9mins left in the game. Why you making a hot pass to McLeod there right in the slot when pressure is coming. Nurse is the release valve who was available for the pass, and nobody was on Nurse. All VD has to do there is pass it to Nurse.

It boggles my mind. VD is a take the safer play guy all day but in that one he's passing it up the slot when forecheck heat already coming. Sure Its McLeod primary error but even if he doesn't fan on the pass theres a possibility of it being picked there.

The whole sequence should not have occurred that way with a 3-0 lead and 9mins left. Make a safer play.

VD had a few plays last night where he had a free chance to clear and blew it. One where he had room to skate up the sidewall and instead threw a soft clear that came straight back in, another one very late where he had an easy out off the glass but reversed it behind the net. I don't want him to try and be Bobby Orr, but he's too tentative with the puck on his stick sometimes.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Stuuuuuuuuuuu = GOOD ENOUGH

McD knew his impact was going to be in this series at some point. Wasn’t there in the beginning but he knew it would come. Belief. Faith. Captain has it, you should too.

Fine, Ceci is irreplaceable.

Holloway is a beast.

Nuge is Huge as usual.

McDrai, good enough and barely needed. We a good enough team where they don’t need to carry now. What a team win.

Clouder was rough.

Nurse not too shabby actually. Big game moment and he held strong.


Off to Dallas! On the 2nd leg of our CUP run.

It’s time for Oilers fans to get behind this team and believeeeeeeee. Final four finishes just don’t happen at random. We got a team good enough for a Cup and should start acting like it.

Connor McDavid has extreme faith in Connor Brown, in Ceci, in Foegele. So I take bolded with grain of salt. heh. Connor McDavid is just nice that way. He's not going to be critical of any team mate.

How is this the 2nd leg? Its third leg.

 

[CupofOil]

Brutal game by mccleod but loved kanes physical game. Drai has been our best player these playoffs but man has bouchard grown

Actually, I thought McLeod had his best game of the series. Brutal brutal mistake that just can't happen but he was noticeably more engaged physically (one particular play when he bodied Hughes behind then net and got the puck to Ryan for a prime scoring chance. Eventually the 3rd line needs to pot a few but I thought they were better in Game 7 outside of that one very notable mistake, very engaged on the forecheck.

 

[guymez]

VD had a few plays last night where he had a free chance to clear and blew it. One where he had room to skate up the sidewall and instead threw a soft clear that came straight back in, another one very late where he had an easy out off the glass but reversed it behind the net. I don't want him to try and be Bobby Orr, but he's too tentative with the puck on his stick sometimes.

I saw the same thing. VD is still growing as a player and there are situations he struggles with.
It will be interesting to see how he does against Dallas. They arent as physical as the Canucks but they are faster and more skilled IMO.

 

[Drivesaitl]

VD had a few plays last night where he had a free chance to clear and blew it. One where he had room to skate up the sidewall and instead threw a soft clear that came straight back in, another one very late where he had an easy out off the glass but reversed it behind the net. I don't want him to try and be Bobby Orr, but he's too tentative with the puck on his stick sometimes.

Each series is like a higher level that VD needs to reach. LA not much as Kings on 1-3-1 which suited slow puck moving VD just fine.

nucks bringing more heat but only at certain times.

Dallas are possibly the best forecheck team around. Gonna be extra challenges. Still don't know what happened to Stecher. Just for the fatigue issue along I would spot him in some games or at least 7D.

 

[McBigYak]

Actually no. Fans in Alberta deserve better than any of these turds. The state of a hockey broadcast these days. It’s a travesty.

I actually don't mind them but there is zero chance it isn't Cuthbert.

I don't know what peoples problem is with him either. He's an outstanding announcer.

 

[Little Fury]

I actually don't mind them but there is zero chance it isn't Cuthbert.

I don't know what peoples problem is with him either. He's an outstanding announcer.

He's so much better than Singh it's crazy.

 

[CupofOil]

No they sure don't. Shades of that other 3-0 game lead that I remember only too well.

The infamous blown 3 goal lead against Anaheim, the blown 3 goal lead against Winnipeg, the blown 3 goal lead in Game 1 against Vancouver, the blown, late, 2-0 lead in Game 4 and now Game 7.

It has always been an epidemic with this group moreso than any other team in the league it seems. I don't even think it's personnel necessarily as they have guys like Drai and Ekholm that can shut down things, I think it's mental and a mental hurdle that they HAVE TO overcome.

 

[MoontoScott]

The infamous blown 3 goal lead against Anaheim, the blown 3 goal lead against Winnipeg, the blown 3 goal lead in Game 1 against Vancouver, the blown, late, 2-0 lead in Game 4 and now Game 7.

It has always been an epidemic with this group moreso than any other team in the league it seems. I don't even think it's personnel necessarily as they have guys like Drai and Ekholm that can shut down things, I think it's mental and a mental hurdle that they HAVE TO overcome.

Agreed-- but this time a better coach called the time out to let the guys calm down. Without that timely move then I am of the opinion that there was a very good chance that the game was going into overtime.

 

[OfCorsiDid]

It may have been posted, but Jack Michaels posted the final seconds of the game with his voice overlayed.
I replied with the call 10s before that video started, with Jack Michaels' "PULSATING" call.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1792813565306700091

@OfCorsiDid I couldn't post just the audio to twitter, so I had to make a "video". I did that by taking your image and using it as a still for the video...
Hope that's OK.

All good dude. The memes are for everyone’s enjoyment and use!

 

[bellagiobob]

The infamous blown 3 goal lead against Anaheim, the blown 3 goal lead against Winnipeg, the blown 3 goal lead in Game 1 against Vancouver, the blown, late, 2-0 lead in Game 4 and now Game 7.

It has always been an epidemic with this group moreso than any other team in the league it seems. I don't even think it's personnel necessarily as they have guys like Drai and Ekholm that can shut down things, I think it's mental and a mental hurdle that they HAVE TO overcome.

it’s been that way with many other series this year. Really good teams have blown leads, Dallas did it numerous times. It’s more the level of competition, all the teams in the final eight were quality teams, lots of ebbs and flows. What matters is that they calmed down in the most important time, the last three minutes, and held the fort.

 

[oil Leaks]

Cody Ceci plays the piano and scores game 7 goals

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

I actually don't mind them but there is zero chance it isn't Cuthbert.

I don't know what peoples problem is with him either. He's an outstanding announcer.

Agreed. Simpson sucks but Cuthbert is legit.

You guys think Woody calls a timeout like Knobby did?

 

[bellagiobob]

Finally get a game in prime time, and it didn’t matter down south, not many more eyes than the games that were on late. US fans in general don’t really care to watch hockey unless a US team is playing.

 

[Drivesaitl]

The infamous blown 3 goal lead against Anaheim, the blown 3 goal lead against Winnipeg, the blown 3 goal lead in Game 1 against Vancouver, the blown, late, 2-0 lead in Game 4 and now Game 7.

It has always been an epidemic with this group moreso than any other team in the league it seems. I don't even think it's personnel necessarily as they have guys like Drai and Ekholm that can shut down things, I think it's mental and a mental hurdle that they HAVE TO overcome.

It happens more than we think in cap era due to relative team parity. Teams are closer now and less separating them. So that a comeback is not even unexpected, its ofteh the result of one team staking claim to part of a game and the the other team having more gas in tank in third.

Comebacks have been all over the playoffs in 2024 and we were playing against the team with the most horseshoes. We needed as big a lead as possible.

 

[Juxta Position]

Holy f*** are some of you guys ever happy?

Our team just made the WCF and we have posts in here whining about Skinner and the fact that the panel focused on the Canucks.

Who gives a f***? We WON. Enjoy that for what it is.

Not to mention, given the fact this is the last time they’ll be talking about Vancouver, it kind of makes sense to focus on them? They’ll have all of the third round to talk about the Oilers. We’re the last team left in Canada so they’ll have to anyways

You would think that would be true, but that is not the case.

An example about this; in 2006 (yes I know I'm reaching pretty far back for this example, but this one sticks with me) Oilers up 3-1 in the WCF against Anaheim with a chance to advance the SCF, and 2 out the 3 segments on the pre game show on TSN was about Mats Sundin's house for sale and what that means for the Leafs, who hadn't played a game in over a month.

The Media will ALWAYS find a reason to relegate the Oilers to second class citizens when they have the opportunity, and trust me, some stupid story will come out Leafs land during this Conference final and the Oilers will be relegated again.

 

[CupofOil]

it’s been that way with many other series this year. Really good teams have blown leads, Dallas did it numerous times. It’s more the level of competition, all the teams in the final eight were quality teams, lots of ebbs and flows. What matters is that they calmed down in the most important time, the last three minutes, and held the fort.

It has happened with other teams but I don't remember a core group that has done this not once, not twice, but like 5 times over the years in the playoffs. They did shut it down after it was 3-2 (credit to Knob for the timely timeout settling the group down) but these have to be lessons learned eventually.

I think part of this is shaky goaltending not making the clutch saves but puck management like McLeod whiffing in the slot and Bouchard with a really poor icing happens too often with this group when protecting leads. They've played very well otherwise but they tend to pucker up at times once the ball gets rolling the other way. They need a little more steadiness when the tide turns late in games, and a big save once in a while to bail them out would be nice as well. Dallas will pounce on those mistakes more than L.A. and Vancouver, need to be smarter and more focused next round

 

[TheNumber4]

Connor McDavid has extreme faith in Connor Brown, in Ceci, in Foegele. So I take bolded with grain of salt. heh. Connor McDavid is just nice that way. He's not going to be critical of any team mate.

How is this the 2nd leg? It’s third leg.

Maybe Connor will be proven right about those guys. What a goal by Ceci last night lol.

Well 2nd leg if you are thinking in halfs lol

 

[McShogun99]

Ceci just made up for his entire season with that game 7 goal. He's been solid tha last 2 games.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Maybe Connor will be proven right about those guys. What a goal by Ceci last night lol.

Well 2nd leg if you are thinking in halfs lol

Ceci picked a good night to have his best game of the playoffs. Hell even Foegele, who's had his struggles, had a huge 45 second shift at the end of the game where he just ate up the Nucks deep in their zone.

 

[McTonyBrar]

LOL are people actually angry on here and complaining? COME ON BOYS