EDMONTON 7
VS.
VANCOUVER 2
------------------
Well thank jeebus for that.
Our season draws to a close with a victory against what should be considered our most hated rival. Qualifiers notwithstanding I'm going to take full enjoyment out of this.
Let's get the short negatives out and move on to a positive close to our year.
1. The Oilers still can't get "chips for everyone" right. That's sad. If we'd lost I may have lost it at that point.
2. Why has Mike Brown either self-neutered or been neutered by the coaching staff? There is no point to playing a player so bad if he isn't going to light people up or at least scrap in a game like this. There were many deserving Canucks out there and he wasn't interested in any of them. That Tom Sestito was allowed to mess with Yakupov and #64 had to do his own fighting back (though he did that well, more later) is an utter shame.
3. Some of those Dubnyk rebounds were just AWFUL. The Sestito goal set up by Kassian was about as juicy of a rebound as you'll ever see. He gave out two more of these in the period and got bailed out. He really needs to work on handling his angles. Two major weaknesses remain for him: low shots off the wall and high blocker shots. Hopefully these areas are a major focus in the offseason.
4. Eric Belanger demeans the Oilers jersey by wearing it. The guy spent the entire game avoiding the play. He wouldn't go into the corners. He wouldn't fight for the puck. He wouldn't even lean in on the faceoffs. I've never seen a guy loop out of the play that much during a hockey game. He should be absolutely ashamed of himself. If he ever plays another game as an Oiler I will be appalled.
I think that was about it. I'm not going to dwell on the rest of the season tonight. Let's enjoy what we got to see in this one.
One of the first things we got to see is how pathetic we know the Canucks are. Henrik playing 22 seconds is one of the most cowardly things I've ever seen. That "streak" should be voided. Kesler as always went whining to the bench after every single shift and didn't go face to face with anyone as per usual. Sesito tries to throw a knee on Yakupov. Bieksa spends the evening swinging his stick then breaks it over the bench like a whining child. Luongo goes headcase and starts letting in Jarred Smithson shots. Vigneault is too dumb to pull his likely playoff starter and save him the embarassement. It was lovely. I truly hope they exit in four games as they and their fans deserve to.
This game of course took a long while to get going. For much of tonight a lot of us were not sure if either team was going to do much in the way of showing up. The little bit of feistiness that appeared at the end of the second might have gotten things going a big. I still don't see why taking liberties against our players (Yakupov, Hall was crosschecked multiple times, Eberle took some abuse) is tolerated so readily by our coaching staff but at least these was some push back from individual players in little ways.
Let's go through the Oilers goals:
1 - Gagner breaks hard to the area behind the net and wins a battle to get the puck to Hall who makes a nice little backhand flip to the blue. Schultz to Schultz for a good, low, tippable shot and Eberle is in perfect position to get the job done. This goal was a big deal because the Oilers were really struggling to get a good offensive chance.
2 - The Oilers powerplay was moving the puck around really well and more movement through the middle of the ice meant the Canucks had a harder time dealing with the flow of the play. Yakupov is set up right beside the net (which I'm really thinking is the key to a ton of powerplay goals and might be worth doing some research on in terms of what % come from that spot. Has to be a bunch). Schultz does a good job of getting the puck to the net and of course Yakupov makes no mistake with that kind of chance. He was so excited. As usual. Worth noting that Sestito tried to mock him after his own goal. That worked out really well for him...
3 - This play starts as Eberle gets absolutely robbed when he can't finish off a rush led by Hall. No one quits on the play including Fistric who makes a great little play to keep it in at the blue line. Eventually the puck heads behind the net where Hall works it out and Schultz has smartly snuck to the front. Once again, no mistake.
4 - Horcoff makes a solid play in the neutral zone and smartly gets the puck deep as Magnus is carrying speed and can get in on the forecheck quickly. He takes advantage of an ugly mistake, then looks and sees Yakupov standing right in front of an open net. Bing-bang, it is in the net. As Yakupov was skating to the bench he was pointing enthusiastically at the Oilers bench. I think someone told him to get himself to the front of the net for the rest of the game. His next goal only cemented that for me.
5 - Starts with a forced turnover to Schultz in the neutral zone. He finds Hall moving down the wing who makes an excellent read to find a trailing Eberle in the slot. Eberle dummies the Canuck defender, then Luongo. Gagner, whose role on the play might have been missed on TV, played a part in generating the turnover and then was a great decoy who got thrown into the boards as Eberle scored.
6 - Nail finishes what he started. This play was all him. Made a great little play to keep things alive in the offensive zone initially, Magnus got the puck to Fistric. As this is happening, Yakupov heads straight to the front of the net, perfect screen, Fistric fires, Yakupov takes the rebound off his chest then deftly beats Luongo low. It was an absolutely stunning sequence from a tremendous hockey player. Couldn't see the celebration live so I'm glad they got it on the highlights. It was borderline subtle for him!
7 - Smyth crashes behind the net, Jones gets the puck and centers to Smithson who misses with his stick, barely gets it with his feet, then shoots without looking and scores. You know you're having a night when...
I'm just very happy to be able to count that many goals against that team and especially that goalie.
--------
Dubnyk
- Made some nice stops but also gave out some nasty rebounds as noted above. For the most part he was in control and cut back on the puck handling which helped his team out in the end.
Smid
- Good enough performance from him tonight, though I thought he dialed back the physicality at times which was a little mystifying. There were opportunities to really lay out some Canucks players and he didn't take them. He was caught up ice on Sestito's goal, but that shouldn't have mattered as he was elbowed in the head and the rush never should have happened in the first place. Aside from that lapse he was defensively solid.
Petry
- Quieter game than usual from him but that meant fewer mistakes. I'm okay with that. He landed a really nice hit in the second period which was something to see. Puck movement was just okay.
Fistric
- Certainly one of his better games. He kept several offensive sequences alive with his play at the opposition blue line and was also rewarded with two assists by getting the puck headed toward the net. I also liked that he went at Lapierre and a couple other Canucks as the game wore on. I'm not sure why he didn't go after Sestito when he tried to knee Yakupov though. That was a little strange.
J. Schultz
- It is about time he had a game where the offence flowed so freely. His goal and passing game were great examples of the high level of skill he can bring to any game. He also bailed out a couple Nick Schultz mistakes including one ugly pinch that generated a 3-on-1. He was offensively effective without having to jump in too much. That's the mark of a strong offensive defenceman.
Potter
- He had a weird game. There were several instances where I couldn't really figure out what he was doing. No really exceptional moments in the positive but he did come out ahead so that's something.
N.Schultz
- He was okay much of the night. I'm still not sure exactly what he was thinking on that ugly pinch given that Justin Schultz had refused to pinch on the other side not long before that. Some good work behind the net.
Brown
- Yeah, I really don't know why he dresses if he effectively does nothing in a game like this one. He went to the front of the net and forechecked I suppose, but he always gets caught deep in the zone and tonight was no different. He also looped away rather than finish his check. Disappointing. He should've at least administered some bruises.
Smithson
- I'm glad the guy scored. It has to have been a weird ride for him over the past couple weeks. It doesn't change the way I think about him, but he actually scored that goal and had another good chance. Good for him.
Smyth
- I'm glad that what may have been his final game as an Oiler was a better effort than we've gotten used to this year. He forechecked hard, drove the front of the net and nearly tipped a couple in. Generated a couple penalties and some scoring chances for others. Didn't take any crap and specifically had words with Kesler which is at least something.
Belanger
- I've said all I want to say about him already. I hope he's never in another one of these reports.
Lander
- Uninteresting game. Didn't really stand out other than being thrown into the net by a Canucks defender at one point.
Jones
- I'll give him that he put out a good effort tonight. He hit people, went hard into the corners and did what he needed to do. Good plays to set up some chances and also got involved physically in pushing back a touch against the Canucks.
Horcoff
- Pretty solid tonight actually. While he wasn't able to be anywhere near keeping up with Yakupov and Hall/Paajarvi, he instead contributed by moving the puck well in the defensive and neutral zones while also picking off a few passes. This helped the transition game immensely. It was good to see him adapt his game and help his teammates out.
Paajarvi
- A quietly successful game. He didn't do the things that I always watch for from him (using his speed to find openings, going to shooting areas in the offensive zone) but he did forecheck well and play off Yakupov to some extent once that line became the norm. Supported Eberle decently as well. If only we could get him to be a better player with the puck in front of the net. He had a couple really good chances to score in close tonight and just couldn't do much of anything with the puck.
Eberle
- Easily could of had four or five tonight. He was robbed by Luongo and his defence at least 4 separate times including a couple beautiful backhand plays. This was the Eberle we need to see. He wanted the puck on his stick and drove the slot to look for shooting opportunities. When Eberle forces the play to the slot, good things happen either in terms of great shooting chances or a pass to a wide open teammate. His goals were covered above but just from a general standpoint he was excellent tonight.
Gagner
- Worked really hard and took a lot of abuse tonight. While he wasn't rewarded the same way the other high profile young guys were, he did pick up some points and did certainly make things happen. He was strong in the corners and made some very nice passes and decoy plays when the offence got going. Always good to see him contribute. I will also note that #89 never shies away from the scrum. He was in there multiple times tonight and I have a lot of respect for that.
Hall
- What else can you really say? He was tremendous as the Oilers offensive play pick up. He made so many things happen behind the net and off the rush specifically. I've said for some time that he plays his best games when he treats his primary offensive responsibility as being a rush passer. He showed why again tonight on several occasions and especially on Eberle's third period goal. Just a beautiful read. Kind of surprised he didn't score as well on a night when he's jumping around like that, but he didn't wind up needing to.
Yakupov
- We've covered his wonderful goals above but there was a little play I saw that I really wanted to highlight. Yakupov was around the low circle with the puck on the powerplay. Not much was happening in terms of movement and many other players would have been stuck, forced a pass and made a mistake or taken a stupid shot to the chest. Yakupov, without looking at all, made a subtle move then fired a laser shot-pass off of Luongo's pads right to Eberle. #14 was so shocked he couldn't score but MAN what a simple, utterly brilliant play. No one on the ice saw that and I don't think any other player could have done it the way he did either. I'm sure he knew what he needed to do to catch Huberdeau and he just went out there and made it happen. He engaged physically with Tom Sestito, hitting him when he had the chance and swinging his stick a little bit. He was all over the ice and passed the puck to himself off of the boards several times. It was an absolute treat watching someone that excited play the game in such an impressive way.
----------------
I'm hoping to put together a year in review, something that's been missing the past couple years, relatively shortly. There's a lot to say and a lot of decisions to be made.
The one thing I will say is that I've been mulling it throughout the season and while Hall surpassed Eberle this year in the "best of the group" race, I will say that Nail Yakupov is on his way to greater things than even Hall. Why?
1. He loves the game so damn much.
2. He appears to work harder than any of the group.
3. Sheer talent. The guy will score 50.
4. He's focused.
5. His game is versatile and we'll be talking about him as a complete player within a season.
#64 is bloody amazing. Period. Can't wait to watch this guy win a Richard Trophy.
Thank you all again for sticking with this throughout another trying year. We all hope for a tremendous offseason and better days ahead. You readers are the reason I plow through the horrible losses and why I so relish getting home to write after a massive win. Thank you once again for the encouragement, reads, discussion and everything else.
4/28/13
4/24/13
2013 LMHF Report Game #23
EDMONTON 1
VS.
CHICAGO 4
---------------
I don't see any magic recipe for tonight's loss. Chicago is a very good team and the Oilers are following management's lead in terms of tanking at the end of any season where you're not going for the Stanley Cup. The previous couple years have resulted in this being the end to our season, at least in terms of mental outlook.
Weird to see Emery somehow get hurt and pull himself like that. You don't often see the goalie head straight back to the dressing room.
At least there was some action for approximately a period. The Oilers kinda-sorta thought about putting up a fight in this one. I'm not exactly sure what triggered the complete giving up this time. I do know the fans are pretty well done as well. All reaction and the traditional BOOs were saved for the last few seconds and that is it. No reason to expect that they'd put in more effort than the team. This is much worse than last year or the year before because you know there's much less excuse for this garbage now. I've never heard so many people upset to be there, and the number leaving early or not showing up at all is increasing rapidly.
If you're a team that'a actually serious about taking a step forward, you need to be playing well at the end of the season. You don't need to be winning every game, but you need strong efforts and bright lights. There are not many of those right now.
I focused specifically on Bryan Bickell tonight as I think he'd be an interesting offseason pickup for our team. We were discussing it about a week ago and he was a guy LMHF#2 thought would be worth a shot. I'd tend to agree. Bickell is large and plays that way. Tonight he took a big of a run at Mike Brown and got no reply. He also defaults to the front of the net in the offensive zone, which is something we're lacking and especially in the bottom six. He's not a speed demon but is reasonably technically which matters much more anyway. He made some decent passes tonight and could likely get some things done with a little more icetime. He had one break in alone on Dubnyk and I was disappointed to see he went low, but at least he gained position, can clearly take a pass, and held his ground. I'd still take a long look at this guy in the offseason to add some unique things to our bottom six and possibly give him the opportunity to flourish and move up in the order every now and again.
I'm always amazed at how consistently Patrick Kane plays very well against the Oilers. Maybe it is the Gagner thing or maybe he's just really consistent, I'm not sure.
Is there a reason Krueger loves playing the fourth line against Chicago's top line? That was not fun to watch at all.
---------------
Dubnyk
- I'm not saying he played badly, but giving him first star in a 30-shot, 4-goal game is lunacy. Sure he made a great pokecheck. Sure he made some nice saves in the third when nothing mattered. He was not very good in the first. He should've stopped Kane's goal. He could've made a much better effort on Toews'. Oduya's shot was nothing to write home about as he'd already squared after the pass from Kane. He also managed to give the puck away multiple times (including a complete whiff behind the net) which should be pretty impossible for a goalie. Again, not his fault we lost and he did make some very nice saves, but not to the point where his effort tonight should be lauded.
Potter-Fistric
- Maybe Corey Potter's worst game as an Oiler. I lost count of the giant mistakes and bonehead plays at around 10. I'm sure he had more. He just couldn't make a pass to save his life tonight other than to a Blackhawk. He also got beat to multiple pucks and beat clean while defending from a positional advantage rountinely. That's no good. Fistric wasn't much better overall, but at least played a physical game. I don't mind taking that elbow on Shaw at all on the shift after he was giving Dubnyk such a hard time.
N.Schultz-J.Schultz
- Way too many defensive zone breakdowns and getting beat clean on the rush by Chicago forwards without any offensive plays generated whatever. That was the simple story of their night. Justin looks incredibly tired after what has easily been his longest hockey season and Nick just looks disinterested. Not a good combination.
Smid-Petry
- Smid is one of the only guys playing like a warrior to the very end. There's no quit and his game has changed very little. I would say he got caught out of position a couple times tonight and didn't move the puck that well, but you'd never question the effort. Now, on to Mr. Petry. For the most part he had an up and down game. He made passing mistakes but also some nice plays, and had a mixed bag kind of game defensively. If this were it for him tonight I'd be okay with things, but it was not. Watching the way he played Sharp on the Chicago EN goal made me want to vomit. It was eerily similar to Whitney's play along the boards in the last game of the season last year. Petry had position and lost it, didn't take the puck or the man, then in a 50/50 situation gave a sad sack effort and was beaten, then didn't even bother to haul down Sharp to prevent a goal. What in the blue hell was that Jeff? This guy does some great things but boy is he ever frustrating on a lot of nights and I'm not sure he's really improving. That last play is going to stick with me for a long time. Imagine if the playoffs had been on the line and that had happened.
Smyth-Smithson-Brown
- Random fact: I think I discovered why Smithson can't skate. He puts about 18 layers of sock tape on his ankles. They had a close up of him doing it going into the third. Back in the old days the tape was somewhat understandable, but with new skates and the need to be able to turn and flex your ankle, this is a recipe for a clunky clod. I'm not sure I've ever watched a large forward who does less on the ice than this guy. That continued tonight. Brown showed absolutely no push back even after getting hammered. There are plenty of targets on the Blackhawks even if you're not interested in hitting someone who matters but he couldn't be bothered. Watching him freeze in place, then get tripped, then trip over himself as he attempted to take advantage of the chance for a clear breakaway was pretty sad. Smyth? He sauntered around the ice doing not much of anything because he's way too late to the puck. He drew a penalty tonight at least by going to the net. Supposedly he had the second most forward icetime for the Oilers? Sad.
Hartikainen-Lander-Jones
- Credit where it is due, these guys generated good scoring chances in the slot on each of their first three shifts. Unfortunately they managed to bungle all of them but that is still more than most of the rest of the roster did tonight. After that Jones went back to being largely ineffective, unable to take a pass and cheating for offence which caused turnovers in the defensive zone. Aside from some strong PK effort he was the same as ever. Hartikainen struggled with the puck tonight which is too bad because he went to the right spots and worked well in the corners. He also ran over a Chicago player while retaining puck possession in the slot on an impressive little play in the third. Disappointing night for him though as he wasn't able to capitalize and didn't pass the puck very well. Lander was very mediocre. Fine on the PK but did a whole lot of nothing 5-on-5 despite some chances to work of strong plays by his linemates.
Yakupov-Horcoff-Paajarvi
- Unfortunately for these guys, after the first period the puck seemed to be winding up on Horcoff's stick in the far end of the neutral zone and the unit's zone entries were pretty sketchy after that started. Horcoff has visibly lost a step or two and can't seem to beat anyone anymore even if he maintains possession. Yakupov had a very nice first period. The goal itself was classic Yakupov, using his wicked shot from an unorthodox spot and putting it in the net. He also made a very nice sliding backcheck play and nearly finished it off with an offensive one during the same shift. He tailed off a bit in the second and third but was at least still pushing the effort. He easily could have scored a couple more. Magnus was less visible than many nights this year. He did a lot of skating but not much else. Hopefully that's just an off game where he fell back to his old comfort zone and nothing more.
Hall-Gagner-Eberle
- You know something's wrong when Eberle in the second period executes the toe drag around a Chicago D, has Crawford at his mercy, and doesn't bother to look up before he shoots the puck. It looked like a wicked Crawford save but make no mistake, that was an Eberle screw up. That extra second he always takes, that little angle change or move to the backhand would have resulted in a highlight reel play and instead he didn't even look up. Damn. I've written that these guys have pretty much checked out for the year and aside from a brief time in the first tonight where they looked like they were considering jumping back into the game, I stand by that. If you noticed anything exceptional that they did, add it to the comments.
--------------
One left. Please don't embarrass us all against VAN on HNIC like you did against Calgary. Please.
VS.
CHICAGO 4
---------------
I don't see any magic recipe for tonight's loss. Chicago is a very good team and the Oilers are following management's lead in terms of tanking at the end of any season where you're not going for the Stanley Cup. The previous couple years have resulted in this being the end to our season, at least in terms of mental outlook.
Weird to see Emery somehow get hurt and pull himself like that. You don't often see the goalie head straight back to the dressing room.
At least there was some action for approximately a period. The Oilers kinda-sorta thought about putting up a fight in this one. I'm not exactly sure what triggered the complete giving up this time. I do know the fans are pretty well done as well. All reaction and the traditional BOOs were saved for the last few seconds and that is it. No reason to expect that they'd put in more effort than the team. This is much worse than last year or the year before because you know there's much less excuse for this garbage now. I've never heard so many people upset to be there, and the number leaving early or not showing up at all is increasing rapidly.
If you're a team that'a actually serious about taking a step forward, you need to be playing well at the end of the season. You don't need to be winning every game, but you need strong efforts and bright lights. There are not many of those right now.
I focused specifically on Bryan Bickell tonight as I think he'd be an interesting offseason pickup for our team. We were discussing it about a week ago and he was a guy LMHF#2 thought would be worth a shot. I'd tend to agree. Bickell is large and plays that way. Tonight he took a big of a run at Mike Brown and got no reply. He also defaults to the front of the net in the offensive zone, which is something we're lacking and especially in the bottom six. He's not a speed demon but is reasonably technically which matters much more anyway. He made some decent passes tonight and could likely get some things done with a little more icetime. He had one break in alone on Dubnyk and I was disappointed to see he went low, but at least he gained position, can clearly take a pass, and held his ground. I'd still take a long look at this guy in the offseason to add some unique things to our bottom six and possibly give him the opportunity to flourish and move up in the order every now and again.
I'm always amazed at how consistently Patrick Kane plays very well against the Oilers. Maybe it is the Gagner thing or maybe he's just really consistent, I'm not sure.
Is there a reason Krueger loves playing the fourth line against Chicago's top line? That was not fun to watch at all.
---------------
Dubnyk
- I'm not saying he played badly, but giving him first star in a 30-shot, 4-goal game is lunacy. Sure he made a great pokecheck. Sure he made some nice saves in the third when nothing mattered. He was not very good in the first. He should've stopped Kane's goal. He could've made a much better effort on Toews'. Oduya's shot was nothing to write home about as he'd already squared after the pass from Kane. He also managed to give the puck away multiple times (including a complete whiff behind the net) which should be pretty impossible for a goalie. Again, not his fault we lost and he did make some very nice saves, but not to the point where his effort tonight should be lauded.
Potter-Fistric
- Maybe Corey Potter's worst game as an Oiler. I lost count of the giant mistakes and bonehead plays at around 10. I'm sure he had more. He just couldn't make a pass to save his life tonight other than to a Blackhawk. He also got beat to multiple pucks and beat clean while defending from a positional advantage rountinely. That's no good. Fistric wasn't much better overall, but at least played a physical game. I don't mind taking that elbow on Shaw at all on the shift after he was giving Dubnyk such a hard time.
N.Schultz-J.Schultz
- Way too many defensive zone breakdowns and getting beat clean on the rush by Chicago forwards without any offensive plays generated whatever. That was the simple story of their night. Justin looks incredibly tired after what has easily been his longest hockey season and Nick just looks disinterested. Not a good combination.
Smid-Petry
- Smid is one of the only guys playing like a warrior to the very end. There's no quit and his game has changed very little. I would say he got caught out of position a couple times tonight and didn't move the puck that well, but you'd never question the effort. Now, on to Mr. Petry. For the most part he had an up and down game. He made passing mistakes but also some nice plays, and had a mixed bag kind of game defensively. If this were it for him tonight I'd be okay with things, but it was not. Watching the way he played Sharp on the Chicago EN goal made me want to vomit. It was eerily similar to Whitney's play along the boards in the last game of the season last year. Petry had position and lost it, didn't take the puck or the man, then in a 50/50 situation gave a sad sack effort and was beaten, then didn't even bother to haul down Sharp to prevent a goal. What in the blue hell was that Jeff? This guy does some great things but boy is he ever frustrating on a lot of nights and I'm not sure he's really improving. That last play is going to stick with me for a long time. Imagine if the playoffs had been on the line and that had happened.
Smyth-Smithson-Brown
- Random fact: I think I discovered why Smithson can't skate. He puts about 18 layers of sock tape on his ankles. They had a close up of him doing it going into the third. Back in the old days the tape was somewhat understandable, but with new skates and the need to be able to turn and flex your ankle, this is a recipe for a clunky clod. I'm not sure I've ever watched a large forward who does less on the ice than this guy. That continued tonight. Brown showed absolutely no push back even after getting hammered. There are plenty of targets on the Blackhawks even if you're not interested in hitting someone who matters but he couldn't be bothered. Watching him freeze in place, then get tripped, then trip over himself as he attempted to take advantage of the chance for a clear breakaway was pretty sad. Smyth? He sauntered around the ice doing not much of anything because he's way too late to the puck. He drew a penalty tonight at least by going to the net. Supposedly he had the second most forward icetime for the Oilers? Sad.
Hartikainen-Lander-Jones
- Credit where it is due, these guys generated good scoring chances in the slot on each of their first three shifts. Unfortunately they managed to bungle all of them but that is still more than most of the rest of the roster did tonight. After that Jones went back to being largely ineffective, unable to take a pass and cheating for offence which caused turnovers in the defensive zone. Aside from some strong PK effort he was the same as ever. Hartikainen struggled with the puck tonight which is too bad because he went to the right spots and worked well in the corners. He also ran over a Chicago player while retaining puck possession in the slot on an impressive little play in the third. Disappointing night for him though as he wasn't able to capitalize and didn't pass the puck very well. Lander was very mediocre. Fine on the PK but did a whole lot of nothing 5-on-5 despite some chances to work of strong plays by his linemates.
Yakupov-Horcoff-Paajarvi
- Unfortunately for these guys, after the first period the puck seemed to be winding up on Horcoff's stick in the far end of the neutral zone and the unit's zone entries were pretty sketchy after that started. Horcoff has visibly lost a step or two and can't seem to beat anyone anymore even if he maintains possession. Yakupov had a very nice first period. The goal itself was classic Yakupov, using his wicked shot from an unorthodox spot and putting it in the net. He also made a very nice sliding backcheck play and nearly finished it off with an offensive one during the same shift. He tailed off a bit in the second and third but was at least still pushing the effort. He easily could have scored a couple more. Magnus was less visible than many nights this year. He did a lot of skating but not much else. Hopefully that's just an off game where he fell back to his old comfort zone and nothing more.
Hall-Gagner-Eberle
- You know something's wrong when Eberle in the second period executes the toe drag around a Chicago D, has Crawford at his mercy, and doesn't bother to look up before he shoots the puck. It looked like a wicked Crawford save but make no mistake, that was an Eberle screw up. That extra second he always takes, that little angle change or move to the backhand would have resulted in a highlight reel play and instead he didn't even look up. Damn. I've written that these guys have pretty much checked out for the year and aside from a brief time in the first tonight where they looked like they were considering jumping back into the game, I stand by that. If you noticed anything exceptional that they did, add it to the comments.
--------------
One left. Please don't embarrass us all against VAN on HNIC like you did against Calgary. Please.
4/21/13
2013 LMHF Report Game #21
EDMONTON 1
VS.
ANAHEIM 3
--------------
Our opening topic tonight is potato chips. Why is that? you may ask. Well, I'll tell you...the Edmonton Oilers can't even do potato chips right at this point. Seriously. I'll elaborate - there was an announcement made late in the game that "everyone" would be getting chips as we left the building. Great, most of us thought, as at least we could take SOMETHING home from this game. It turns out that those of us who actually stayed until, ya know, the end of the game, were beyond out of luck. They had already been completely out for quite some time. I say a lot of critical things about the Edmonton Oilers, but I can't recall them screwing up something so damn basic. Just amazing. What is wrong with these people??
Anyway, back to hockey, or whatever exactly it was being played at Rexall Place tonight. One team kinda sorta played, another team didn't really bother.
I'd really like to write another legit game assessment before the end of the season. I do really enjoy getting into the nuts and bolts of the game. I'm less than optimistic this will happen though. There's every chance they come out on Wednesday and paste Chicago, just because we're the Oilers I suppose. It just isn't possible to go through assessing players the way they've played the last few games. Everyone is completely checked out mentally.
It was so sad to watch our team with the goalie pulled. We allowed Anaheim I think 5 attempts at the empty net. The Oilers barely got a shot. Not only that, but they turned the puck over in such a sad and pathetic way...it was either in the neutral zone or barely into the offensive zone every time. Really bad when you can't even muster a whimper.
If I'd been thinking of it in advance I suppose I could've done an Anaheim game report. They showed up and did what they needed to do with what appeared to be a roster where players were resting. It is sad but true that our team has, once again, become just an easy checkmark on the schedule at the end of the season.
Usually when this kind of thing happens there are at least people around trying to earn a job that can impress you. I tried to pay more attention to Lander and Hartikainen than anyone else tonight, though even that was a struggle at times.
Hartikainen managed to get himself a couple scoring chances including a nice tip and control the puck in the corners. He didn't capitalize and I really hope he spends some substantial time on his shooting in the offseason. It looks more than anything like he's just rushing it a little bit sometimes. That happens with young guys but learning to focus and finish is very hit or miss. It takes effort. #56 didn't blow anyone up tonight that I recall and I hope he brings that to the table in the pre-season next year as well as the AHL playoffs if he's eligible.
Lander was less noticeable and had some trouble with the puck from what I could see. He was completely out of place in the lineup of course, but at least it gave us all a chance to see him with some decent players. Paajarvi and Yakupov outclassed him by a lot of course. This doesn't mean he was a failure. While he wasn't as good on the PK as he usually seems to be, he was okay positionally and at least put forth an effort out there.
Aside from those two it was pretty much a grab bag for me. It is tough to focus on hockey that bad.
The top line with Gagner added didn't do too much. Sure, Hall scored but even he was surprised that shot beat Hiller. He kinda whiffed or was shooting for a rebound. As a unit they weren't carrying speed into the offensive zone at all. Gagner struggled to get his shot away despite some strong stickhandling. Eberle really didn't look to be into it at all. Hall was at times, and others not. Landed a big check near the end of the game for some reason
The second line was interesting to watch at times. Yakupov was once again probably the most dangerous forward. He got a couple good shots away from the slot and threaded an absolutely perfect pass to Paajarvi whose stick just disintegrated somehow. It was a grade AAA level pass that required a delay, weight shift, perfect speed and timing. Just awesome. #64 could still break for the open ice better. I hope there's a coach around that can see and teach that. Magnus could have been better but could have been worse. He was a half-step away from a lot of plays.
The old men were terrible tonight. Horcoff, Smyth and Smithson didn't contribute at all. Horcoff even managed to take a couple of stupid penalties to salt it. Smyth was behind every play. Smithson can't keep up either. Not worth saying much more. Smyth tried a double-wraparound....seriously.
Jones hit some people I suppose. At least that's something.
Brown took another dumb high sticking penalty. He's great at that.
The D? I dunno. Smid played tough as usual but also made more mistakes than normal. Petry made a really nice play to Hall to get him a goal then passed the puck away a bunch of times. I'm starting to wonder whether it is Petry's passing or whether at this point the forwards are so bad/disinterested that no one is in position to take a pass. Not really sure. The Schultzes? Just okay. Missed some coverages and Justin at least wasn't constantly wandering the offensive zone as he did during the last game I went to. Fistric and Potter spent most of the night giving the puck away as well. It wasn't pretty.
Dubnyk? Good enough if his team had decided to show up.
------------
If you care about sports and consider yourself a competitor, you wonder what impact all this intentional losing has had on the players. I maintain it results in what we've seen at the end of this season. Rather than a team that fights to the bitter end for at least some improvement, the players know that management is okay with losing. There's no accountability. Why would they want to win? Just wrecking the draft pick. This is why the NHL should have nuked the weighted lottery a long time ago. I would have much rather watched a team forced to fight than one taking the most talentless way out to rebuild a team. Watching hockey this listless after knowing your team is capable of more is even worse than watching a horrible team get beat. There's just nothing there to go after and instead of putting forth a professional, strong effort down the stretch and winning a game or two, this team is skating out the string. Make no mistake about that.
I won't be at the game tomorrow, so no report. See you Wednesday.
VS.
ANAHEIM 3
--------------
Our opening topic tonight is potato chips. Why is that? you may ask. Well, I'll tell you...the Edmonton Oilers can't even do potato chips right at this point. Seriously. I'll elaborate - there was an announcement made late in the game that "everyone" would be getting chips as we left the building. Great, most of us thought, as at least we could take SOMETHING home from this game. It turns out that those of us who actually stayed until, ya know, the end of the game, were beyond out of luck. They had already been completely out for quite some time. I say a lot of critical things about the Edmonton Oilers, but I can't recall them screwing up something so damn basic. Just amazing. What is wrong with these people??
Anyway, back to hockey, or whatever exactly it was being played at Rexall Place tonight. One team kinda sorta played, another team didn't really bother.
I'd really like to write another legit game assessment before the end of the season. I do really enjoy getting into the nuts and bolts of the game. I'm less than optimistic this will happen though. There's every chance they come out on Wednesday and paste Chicago, just because we're the Oilers I suppose. It just isn't possible to go through assessing players the way they've played the last few games. Everyone is completely checked out mentally.
It was so sad to watch our team with the goalie pulled. We allowed Anaheim I think 5 attempts at the empty net. The Oilers barely got a shot. Not only that, but they turned the puck over in such a sad and pathetic way...it was either in the neutral zone or barely into the offensive zone every time. Really bad when you can't even muster a whimper.
If I'd been thinking of it in advance I suppose I could've done an Anaheim game report. They showed up and did what they needed to do with what appeared to be a roster where players were resting. It is sad but true that our team has, once again, become just an easy checkmark on the schedule at the end of the season.
Usually when this kind of thing happens there are at least people around trying to earn a job that can impress you. I tried to pay more attention to Lander and Hartikainen than anyone else tonight, though even that was a struggle at times.
Hartikainen managed to get himself a couple scoring chances including a nice tip and control the puck in the corners. He didn't capitalize and I really hope he spends some substantial time on his shooting in the offseason. It looks more than anything like he's just rushing it a little bit sometimes. That happens with young guys but learning to focus and finish is very hit or miss. It takes effort. #56 didn't blow anyone up tonight that I recall and I hope he brings that to the table in the pre-season next year as well as the AHL playoffs if he's eligible.
Lander was less noticeable and had some trouble with the puck from what I could see. He was completely out of place in the lineup of course, but at least it gave us all a chance to see him with some decent players. Paajarvi and Yakupov outclassed him by a lot of course. This doesn't mean he was a failure. While he wasn't as good on the PK as he usually seems to be, he was okay positionally and at least put forth an effort out there.
Aside from those two it was pretty much a grab bag for me. It is tough to focus on hockey that bad.
The top line with Gagner added didn't do too much. Sure, Hall scored but even he was surprised that shot beat Hiller. He kinda whiffed or was shooting for a rebound. As a unit they weren't carrying speed into the offensive zone at all. Gagner struggled to get his shot away despite some strong stickhandling. Eberle really didn't look to be into it at all. Hall was at times, and others not. Landed a big check near the end of the game for some reason
The second line was interesting to watch at times. Yakupov was once again probably the most dangerous forward. He got a couple good shots away from the slot and threaded an absolutely perfect pass to Paajarvi whose stick just disintegrated somehow. It was a grade AAA level pass that required a delay, weight shift, perfect speed and timing. Just awesome. #64 could still break for the open ice better. I hope there's a coach around that can see and teach that. Magnus could have been better but could have been worse. He was a half-step away from a lot of plays.
The old men were terrible tonight. Horcoff, Smyth and Smithson didn't contribute at all. Horcoff even managed to take a couple of stupid penalties to salt it. Smyth was behind every play. Smithson can't keep up either. Not worth saying much more. Smyth tried a double-wraparound....seriously.
Jones hit some people I suppose. At least that's something.
Brown took another dumb high sticking penalty. He's great at that.
The D? I dunno. Smid played tough as usual but also made more mistakes than normal. Petry made a really nice play to Hall to get him a goal then passed the puck away a bunch of times. I'm starting to wonder whether it is Petry's passing or whether at this point the forwards are so bad/disinterested that no one is in position to take a pass. Not really sure. The Schultzes? Just okay. Missed some coverages and Justin at least wasn't constantly wandering the offensive zone as he did during the last game I went to. Fistric and Potter spent most of the night giving the puck away as well. It wasn't pretty.
Dubnyk? Good enough if his team had decided to show up.
------------
If you care about sports and consider yourself a competitor, you wonder what impact all this intentional losing has had on the players. I maintain it results in what we've seen at the end of this season. Rather than a team that fights to the bitter end for at least some improvement, the players know that management is okay with losing. There's no accountability. Why would they want to win? Just wrecking the draft pick. This is why the NHL should have nuked the weighted lottery a long time ago. I would have much rather watched a team forced to fight than one taking the most talentless way out to rebuild a team. Watching hockey this listless after knowing your team is capable of more is even worse than watching a horrible team get beat. There's just nothing there to go after and instead of putting forth a professional, strong effort down the stretch and winning a game or two, this team is skating out the string. Make no mistake about that.
I won't be at the game tomorrow, so no report. See you Wednesday.
4/14/13
2013 LMHF Report Game #19
EDMONTON 1
VS.
ABBOTSFORD 4
-------------
We're going to break from the regular format and go to what was the most important thing that can be extracted from the game tonight. The first line is done. They've shut it down and are going home for the summer. To watch that line go through the motions and simply show up rather than even try to win was really upsetting and completely disheartening. I know the team was going to miss the playoffs heading into tonight's game, but you have to beat Calgary on Saturday on HNIC. You have to at least give all you've got. I've never understood how people just quit on the game myself, but that was exactly what we saw from 4, 14 and 93 tonight. Not one step in their usual extra gear. No push toward the net in the third period. No extra effort anywhere on the ice. No jump. No excited or even frustrated faces. Just blank stares...going through the motions...letting an AHL school them in their own zone then hopping back on the bench to wait for their next turn. How completely and utterly pathetic. If we had the roster space to sit them next game I'd strongly consider it after THAT. Watching Taylor Hall lay on his butt after getting hit...or Jordan Eberle skate slowly back to the bench with no purpose after a play was ended...or Hopkins not even trying to beat defenders...just brutal. Completely brutal.
BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE! If Ryan Smyth is the man most people seem to think he is, he should watch the tape of his performance tonight and ask the coaching staff to sit him down for the rest of the year. He should spend that time strongly considering either hanging them up for good and preserving his legacy, or immediately begin the kind of offseason regimen that let guys like Chelios and Roberts keep playing for as long as they did. He should truly commit to this team and actually make the effort, rather than whining about his role on the team, not playing during the lockout, then showing up to do THIS in the regular season. I've never seen a veteran player lose that many races to the puck where they had a one, two or even three step head start. He couldn't even be bothered to make it to the boards on most of these plays tonight. He'd simply glide in one direction, then extend his stick weakly and move on. He made one of the most rookie-mistake plays I've seen all year to set up a Calgary goal, poking a puck in desperation right to a waiting Calgary player in the middle of the damn ice when there was nothing but space and time along the boards. How does he respond? Why he rushes into the CGY zone at 3mph and uncorks the 3-three-hour wind up 4mph slapper. This is a guy who has never been my favorite but at least had my respect for his effort on the ice. This year and especially tonight have really impacted my view of him. It'd be one thing if he was leaving it all out there, blocking shots left and right and simply couldn't do it because the body is no longer willing...but he's not putting forth the effort and then I see he's apparently yukking it up on the bench while we're down 3-1 to CGY on HNIC. 20-something Ryan Smyth would punch the current #94 in the face.
I know it was an exceptional night, but it is really crummy when you realize that MAYBE one guy (Horcoff, depending on the moves made in the offseason) is the only guy in the bottom six with any business on this roster. I know that Jones and Petrell at least played a little bit like they were trying to earn jobs tonight...but the fact that this performance and that effort was so noticable is a great indication that they just are not good enough to be here. Smithson hits exactly like J.F. Jacques used to, meaning that because of his weak skating fundamentals he doesn't make near the impact he should and winds up completely out of position. He also spent half the night falling on his butt. It was terrible. Mike Brown landed one decent hit and spent the rest of the night skating around trying to look like he was doing something. I liked Petrell's goal, and his tip attempt later in the game, and that he went out of his way to play physically. Doesn't change my conclusion that he needs to be gone. Jones made a solid play to set up Lennart, then went back to overskating and being out of position as usual. At least he hit some people. Horcoff wasn't great but also had absolutely ZERO to work with out there really. I don't expect miracles from the guy. He wasn't good in the defensive zone though...and made a number of PK mistakes despite the fact that the unit was largely successful.
The only forward unit that did anything right for a decent part of the night was the Gagner line. The Yakupov non-goal was an absolutely magnificent sequence. Magnus skates in to land a hit he never would have thrown a couple years ago...this leads to a lose puck heading to centre ice. From the second Yakupov saw that puck, the lane ahead and started moving, you knew it was headed into the net. Yakupov pounces, Gagner makes a good read and gets the puck, Yakupov drives to the perfect spot, Gagner finds him and damn if Mr. Handeye can't get his stick on the puck. Not our night I guess, but still, what a transition play. Just amazing. All three forwards doing exactly what we needed them to. Yakupov and Paajarvi both landed multiple hits during the game. All these hits came while maintaining position and making a positive impact on the play. The line attacked with speed and was responsible for most of the good chances we had. Yakupov made a brilliant laser pass that should have found Gagner but he missed it by a step. Magnus drove the puck and did pretty much everything we've been asking him to. Sam could have been better, but at least was a step above the rest of the forwards along with his line. I won't excuse their defensive play though, as aside from a couple gems from #s 91 and 64, they did indeed get pinned in the defensive zone and make some mistakes that led to Calgary chances. I do blame the D for some of that, but the unit needed to be better. Gagner also completely blew by the front of the net on the PK leading to a CGY goal (Petrell was also completely out to lunch there I believe).
When it comes to the D tonight I'm not even sure it is worth discussing them. Remember how we spoke about the Calgary D standing around waiting for the game to be over? The Oilers D didn't check anyone tonight. They stood around and let Calgary score. They gave the puck away. They didn't pass well to their forwards or skate the puck out of our zone. A perfect example was the first goal, where Smid sent the puck around the boards, Petry was within a couple steps and couldn't be bothered, and there was no forward there to get the puck. Suddenly Calgary is in on us and scores. Ugly, unacceptable way to start a game. It is one thing to allow a good goal early...it happens, but not that way.
Khabibulin? Yeah he was terrible. Just horrendous. He stopped some tough ones but almost all of these stops generated huge rebounds. He got beat four times by a whole lot of nobodies. It wouldn't have mattered of course...but still you have to note that he wasn't any good.
-------------
So yeah, I'm pissed. I saw this coming but not this bad and not with this much quit.
The thing is, we have had several chances during this season to make a statement about taking a step forward. 75% of the conversation at the deadline was about "sending the wrong message" by...well...doing anything to this team...I wonder what the message was when essentially nothing was done. Make no mistake, adding Smithson was a waste of a fourth round pick. Couldn't you have helped this team and given it a playoff push boost by grabbing a player or two that could actually contribute? It was evident from the other trades that the cost was minimal. Instead we have paralysis as usual.
It is evident at this point that the entire conversation around the Oilers - from management to the media to a wide majority of the fans is completely wrong. They think we simply need to "add size". They think this is all part of the process. They think you can magically wake up one day, acquire everyone you need and be a Stanley Cup contender for a decade with the same people and ideas you had before...it simply does not work that way. It never has and never will.
For the last word I'll turn to the talking about the coach. I've tried to like Ralph Krueger. I like his positive take on most things and I like that he seems to be thoughtful. These are important parts of being a strong coach. The thing is, you also need to be able to get pissed off. You need to have intensity. You need to impose your will. You can't whine about not being able to get players icetime because you steadfastly refuse to take a chance and play offensive players on the PK when you're losing. That's just such a great example of a coach who gets completely stuck in his own groove and can't see the obvious and easy solution to his problem. When you're down in a game late in the season and can't make the playoffs but want your players to grow, you play Hall, Eberle, Yakupov, Hopkins and whoever damn else on the PK, PP, 5-on-5, 4-on-4 and wherever else you can. You just DO IT. This is not complicated stuff. We may very well be at the paralysis through analysis stage here.
Good god is this ever frustrating. I am so thankful that I didn't have to pay for and sit through 41 games of this crap this year. It is painful to say that, but it is true.
VS.
ABBOTSFORD 4
-------------
We're going to break from the regular format and go to what was the most important thing that can be extracted from the game tonight. The first line is done. They've shut it down and are going home for the summer. To watch that line go through the motions and simply show up rather than even try to win was really upsetting and completely disheartening. I know the team was going to miss the playoffs heading into tonight's game, but you have to beat Calgary on Saturday on HNIC. You have to at least give all you've got. I've never understood how people just quit on the game myself, but that was exactly what we saw from 4, 14 and 93 tonight. Not one step in their usual extra gear. No push toward the net in the third period. No extra effort anywhere on the ice. No jump. No excited or even frustrated faces. Just blank stares...going through the motions...letting an AHL school them in their own zone then hopping back on the bench to wait for their next turn. How completely and utterly pathetic. If we had the roster space to sit them next game I'd strongly consider it after THAT. Watching Taylor Hall lay on his butt after getting hit...or Jordan Eberle skate slowly back to the bench with no purpose after a play was ended...or Hopkins not even trying to beat defenders...just brutal. Completely brutal.
BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE! If Ryan Smyth is the man most people seem to think he is, he should watch the tape of his performance tonight and ask the coaching staff to sit him down for the rest of the year. He should spend that time strongly considering either hanging them up for good and preserving his legacy, or immediately begin the kind of offseason regimen that let guys like Chelios and Roberts keep playing for as long as they did. He should truly commit to this team and actually make the effort, rather than whining about his role on the team, not playing during the lockout, then showing up to do THIS in the regular season. I've never seen a veteran player lose that many races to the puck where they had a one, two or even three step head start. He couldn't even be bothered to make it to the boards on most of these plays tonight. He'd simply glide in one direction, then extend his stick weakly and move on. He made one of the most rookie-mistake plays I've seen all year to set up a Calgary goal, poking a puck in desperation right to a waiting Calgary player in the middle of the damn ice when there was nothing but space and time along the boards. How does he respond? Why he rushes into the CGY zone at 3mph and uncorks the 3-three-hour wind up 4mph slapper. This is a guy who has never been my favorite but at least had my respect for his effort on the ice. This year and especially tonight have really impacted my view of him. It'd be one thing if he was leaving it all out there, blocking shots left and right and simply couldn't do it because the body is no longer willing...but he's not putting forth the effort and then I see he's apparently yukking it up on the bench while we're down 3-1 to CGY on HNIC. 20-something Ryan Smyth would punch the current #94 in the face.
I know it was an exceptional night, but it is really crummy when you realize that MAYBE one guy (Horcoff, depending on the moves made in the offseason) is the only guy in the bottom six with any business on this roster. I know that Jones and Petrell at least played a little bit like they were trying to earn jobs tonight...but the fact that this performance and that effort was so noticable is a great indication that they just are not good enough to be here. Smithson hits exactly like J.F. Jacques used to, meaning that because of his weak skating fundamentals he doesn't make near the impact he should and winds up completely out of position. He also spent half the night falling on his butt. It was terrible. Mike Brown landed one decent hit and spent the rest of the night skating around trying to look like he was doing something. I liked Petrell's goal, and his tip attempt later in the game, and that he went out of his way to play physically. Doesn't change my conclusion that he needs to be gone. Jones made a solid play to set up Lennart, then went back to overskating and being out of position as usual. At least he hit some people. Horcoff wasn't great but also had absolutely ZERO to work with out there really. I don't expect miracles from the guy. He wasn't good in the defensive zone though...and made a number of PK mistakes despite the fact that the unit was largely successful.
The only forward unit that did anything right for a decent part of the night was the Gagner line. The Yakupov non-goal was an absolutely magnificent sequence. Magnus skates in to land a hit he never would have thrown a couple years ago...this leads to a lose puck heading to centre ice. From the second Yakupov saw that puck, the lane ahead and started moving, you knew it was headed into the net. Yakupov pounces, Gagner makes a good read and gets the puck, Yakupov drives to the perfect spot, Gagner finds him and damn if Mr. Handeye can't get his stick on the puck. Not our night I guess, but still, what a transition play. Just amazing. All three forwards doing exactly what we needed them to. Yakupov and Paajarvi both landed multiple hits during the game. All these hits came while maintaining position and making a positive impact on the play. The line attacked with speed and was responsible for most of the good chances we had. Yakupov made a brilliant laser pass that should have found Gagner but he missed it by a step. Magnus drove the puck and did pretty much everything we've been asking him to. Sam could have been better, but at least was a step above the rest of the forwards along with his line. I won't excuse their defensive play though, as aside from a couple gems from #s 91 and 64, they did indeed get pinned in the defensive zone and make some mistakes that led to Calgary chances. I do blame the D for some of that, but the unit needed to be better. Gagner also completely blew by the front of the net on the PK leading to a CGY goal (Petrell was also completely out to lunch there I believe).
When it comes to the D tonight I'm not even sure it is worth discussing them. Remember how we spoke about the Calgary D standing around waiting for the game to be over? The Oilers D didn't check anyone tonight. They stood around and let Calgary score. They gave the puck away. They didn't pass well to their forwards or skate the puck out of our zone. A perfect example was the first goal, where Smid sent the puck around the boards, Petry was within a couple steps and couldn't be bothered, and there was no forward there to get the puck. Suddenly Calgary is in on us and scores. Ugly, unacceptable way to start a game. It is one thing to allow a good goal early...it happens, but not that way.
Khabibulin? Yeah he was terrible. Just horrendous. He stopped some tough ones but almost all of these stops generated huge rebounds. He got beat four times by a whole lot of nobodies. It wouldn't have mattered of course...but still you have to note that he wasn't any good.
-------------
So yeah, I'm pissed. I saw this coming but not this bad and not with this much quit.
The thing is, we have had several chances during this season to make a statement about taking a step forward. 75% of the conversation at the deadline was about "sending the wrong message" by...well...doing anything to this team...I wonder what the message was when essentially nothing was done. Make no mistake, adding Smithson was a waste of a fourth round pick. Couldn't you have helped this team and given it a playoff push boost by grabbing a player or two that could actually contribute? It was evident from the other trades that the cost was minimal. Instead we have paralysis as usual.
It is evident at this point that the entire conversation around the Oilers - from management to the media to a wide majority of the fans is completely wrong. They think we simply need to "add size". They think this is all part of the process. They think you can magically wake up one day, acquire everyone you need and be a Stanley Cup contender for a decade with the same people and ideas you had before...it simply does not work that way. It never has and never will.
For the last word I'll turn to the talking about the coach. I've tried to like Ralph Krueger. I like his positive take on most things and I like that he seems to be thoughtful. These are important parts of being a strong coach. The thing is, you also need to be able to get pissed off. You need to have intensity. You need to impose your will. You can't whine about not being able to get players icetime because you steadfastly refuse to take a chance and play offensive players on the PK when you're losing. That's just such a great example of a coach who gets completely stuck in his own groove and can't see the obvious and easy solution to his problem. When you're down in a game late in the season and can't make the playoffs but want your players to grow, you play Hall, Eberle, Yakupov, Hopkins and whoever damn else on the PK, PP, 5-on-5, 4-on-4 and wherever else you can. You just DO IT. This is not complicated stuff. We may very well be at the paralysis through analysis stage here.
Good god is this ever frustrating. I am so thankful that I didn't have to pay for and sit through 41 games of this crap this year. It is painful to say that, but it is true.
4/11/13
2013 LMHF Report Game #18
EDMONTON 1
VS.
PHOENIX 3
---------------
So, Fan Appreciation Night huh? Otherwise known as guaranteed loss night? Yeah...not good. I was not optimistic heading into this one. By the end I was just disappointed that more people hadn't prepared for the loss by loading up on free popcorns to litter the ice with.
This one was bad. Really bad. Listless and sad bad.
They didn't deserve two points tonight. That is for sure. Neither did Phoenix really though. This game was one of those that in the old days could have ended in a zero-zero tie and you'd have just said "Yep." and headed on home.
There was no push from practically anyone on the ice until the third period. I don't know what precisely it is about this team that turns the switch off if they don't set the other team on fire in the first period. There's no reason they can't be winning games in any and all periods, but this group seems to have only one way of getting it done and if that doesn't work out they pack it in for the night.
What exactly did they do to that confident team that left the building not that long ago to take on the world on the road? Did they all just jump off the damn pier in Vancouver or what? Have they been replaced with a bunch of drones who just sort of drift through games? To go this silent and listless, when you're finally in the position where you MIGHT make the playoffs is appalling. It's been appalling to watch on TV and I figured at least it would get better at home. If anything it got worse.
I'd like to also highlight what happened to us in the third period. I still don't know exactly what happened with Taylor Hall that inspired such wrath from Phoenix. I saw Michalek, who was perfectly fine after rolling around on the ice like he'd been shot. I saw when he, Yandle, Hanzal and others playing like little whining children afterwards that should have all been sent to the penalty box. I saw our team do...pretty much nothing in response. That was embarrassing. Completely and totally embarrassing. I'm not a guy who says this team isn't big enough and all that like others do, but there are times when you really have to question the players on the ice and especially what the coaches are telling them/who is being put on the ice. Having no response to PHX's chippy play is unforgivable. You send guys out there and you take a run at Ekman-Larsson. You dummy Doan. You go after their skill players. You don't leave the Taylor Halls and Nail Yakupovs of the world to do it on their own. Just stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
And I'm so tired of having to point out the refereeing, but I must again because it was that terrible. Things were bad enough when the two weak tripping calls came in succession, but what went on in the third, where players weren't being protected during a dangerous situation was really upsetting. This league wonders why it has problems...well letting Michalek chop away with his stick for 3 straight shifts with no penalties called is a pretty good example to look at.
Getting back to more game details - does anyone know why the Oilers defencemen insist on simply shooting the puck out of our zone and giving it away so often? They all did that an absolute ton tonight. Almost no solid passing to be found anywhere. When they weren't dumping the puck away, they were letting the PHX forwards skate right by them with the puck...sooo...yeah.
---------------
Dubnyk
- He was terrible. Sure he had stretches of smooth sailing where he made some decent saves but those goals were unforgivable. He's played enough strong games this year that the team should be in a playoff spot so I don't hold that reality against him, but no excuses for tonight's effort. Unfocused and cost us.
Fistric-Whitney
- I did actually see Whitney skate into the corner well and beat an opposition forward in a battle for the puck tonight. That was good but the rest of the night for both of these guys was pretty horrible. Fistric was having a really hard time moving the puck and making any kind of decision. He got caught standing still several times. Whitney had some decent moments with the man advantage but otherwise spent the night passing to the wrong team and making coverage mistakes. He'd just stand around for no apparent reason.
Smid-Petry
- Certainly one of Petry's worst games of the year. He kept passing the puck tape-to-tape to the opposition. He wasn't even close to making plays. I can recall maybe one good skate in the offensive zone that ended in nothing. Smid didn't play well either. He got caught in the offensive zone after giving up an easy possession and creating a Phoenix 3-on-1 the other way that thankfully came to nothing. He was just okay in the defensive zone, which is well below his usual standard. No big mistakes that went in the net but several that could have.
N. Schultz-J. Schultz
- No fireworks from either of these guys and both got caught standing still or out of position several times during the game much like the rest of the D group. Not a lot of crisp passing either.
Brown-Smithson-Petrell
- I was somewhat looking forward to watching Smithson's first game at Rexall to see if maybe there was something I'd missed in past looks at him where he really seemed like nothing special at all. I was disappointed. Smithson seems so far to be Eric Belanger without the positioning or the goofy shooting technique, plus some hit attempts. I stress the word attempts because tonight he couldn't really direct his momentum in any meaningful way and ran into people but didn't really do anything. Petrell at least showed a little bit of fire, skated some and played a decent game. Brown was basically invisible save for a tip in front of the net. I don't know what it is about the Oilers' culture or coaches or what but he sure has toned things down since the first couple games.
Smyth-Horcoff-Yakupov
- Watching this line was really strange. The thing that was most striking was how incredibly slow and out of it Yakupov made Horcoff and Smyth look. They were constantly behind the play. #64 had to freelance all over the ice for the unti to get anything done at all. When they did it was a credit to him and pretty much nothing else. Nail was fairly quiet early, but came on crazy in the third. Loved that he was trying to put the team on his shoulders and didn't take any crap from anyone. Not having him out there at the end of the game, after being the only guy on the ice all night who looked like he might actually win us the game, was a travesty. Horcoff wasn't too bad even if he did look like an ocean liner at times. I don't blame him for the penalty at the very end of the game. It made no sense based on what I saw live or on the replay. If anything Mike Smith should have gotten a penalty for losing his crap. Horcoff did get a great feed from Eberle that needed to be converted. He had all the time in the world and almost looked like he was so shocked he couldn't decide what to do with it. Horrible. Smyth at least took on Doan at the end a bit I guess. The rest of the game he looked useless, slow and uninterested. People give #94 the benefit of the doubt when it comes to effort. If that's all he's got, then he needs to hang em up. Badly.
Paajarvi-Gagner-Hemsky
- Nothing from these guys tonight. Hemsky's obviously hurt and while the spirit was willing, as evidenced by second and third efforts all night to make SOMETHING, ANYTHING happen out there, but the body is not cooperating. He didn't have a very good game and couldn't get passes through where he'd normally have been able to. Still a couple moments that could have swung things but not enough of them. I don't know what's up with Gagner. He's gone completely silent all of a sudden, losing pucks and not playing the compensatory physical game that usually accompanies his offensive lulls. He's just not creating anything and hasn't adjusted to getting open either. Magnus at least hit some holes with speed, hit a couple people and was okay tonight. He really didn't play well with the puck though. That whiffed slapper he took that wound up in the corner was just sad.
Hall-Hopkins-Eberle
- I'd say early on Eberle was getting the chances and driving the bus a little. Hall took over this role at the end. The thing was, none of these guys were much good for any more than one shift in a row tonight. I don't know if it was effort with them but their execution was WAY off. Imprecise shooting, sloppy passing, carrying no speed out of our zone or into their zone...just nothing going tonight. Why they also took a bunch of lazy shots from the outside with no drive to the net and no chance of scoring was rather baffling. I'm not sure why these guys have suddenly lost the touch, but this looks eerily similar to earlier in the year when they just sort of short-circuited. They lost their roll at the absolute wrong time.
---------------
I'm not sure whether this team is tired or lazy at this point. It has to be one of them because that effort was pathetic. It is one thing to lose when a team shuts you down...that wasn't this game at all. They had nothing to give, didn't execute on anything and were outcoached badly once again. Way too many mistakes. This team has no excuse for being where there are in the standings right now...much less where they are likely to wind up.
I was never too optimistic that the Oilers would make the playoffs. Management has passed up to many chances to add depth to survive injuries and gives vets and rookies alike a kick in the pants when necessary. There are so many guaranteed jobs on this team right now. It really shouldn't be that way for a squad that has been easily the NHL's worst in the past few years.
And for the record...bouncing up 3 or 4 spots from the very bottom because some of your draft picks aren't 18 years old anymore is not progress.
Ugh...just sad and frustrating at this point.
VS.
PHOENIX 3
---------------
So, Fan Appreciation Night huh? Otherwise known as guaranteed loss night? Yeah...not good. I was not optimistic heading into this one. By the end I was just disappointed that more people hadn't prepared for the loss by loading up on free popcorns to litter the ice with.
This one was bad. Really bad. Listless and sad bad.
They didn't deserve two points tonight. That is for sure. Neither did Phoenix really though. This game was one of those that in the old days could have ended in a zero-zero tie and you'd have just said "Yep." and headed on home.
There was no push from practically anyone on the ice until the third period. I don't know what precisely it is about this team that turns the switch off if they don't set the other team on fire in the first period. There's no reason they can't be winning games in any and all periods, but this group seems to have only one way of getting it done and if that doesn't work out they pack it in for the night.
What exactly did they do to that confident team that left the building not that long ago to take on the world on the road? Did they all just jump off the damn pier in Vancouver or what? Have they been replaced with a bunch of drones who just sort of drift through games? To go this silent and listless, when you're finally in the position where you MIGHT make the playoffs is appalling. It's been appalling to watch on TV and I figured at least it would get better at home. If anything it got worse.
I'd like to also highlight what happened to us in the third period. I still don't know exactly what happened with Taylor Hall that inspired such wrath from Phoenix. I saw Michalek, who was perfectly fine after rolling around on the ice like he'd been shot. I saw when he, Yandle, Hanzal and others playing like little whining children afterwards that should have all been sent to the penalty box. I saw our team do...pretty much nothing in response. That was embarrassing. Completely and totally embarrassing. I'm not a guy who says this team isn't big enough and all that like others do, but there are times when you really have to question the players on the ice and especially what the coaches are telling them/who is being put on the ice. Having no response to PHX's chippy play is unforgivable. You send guys out there and you take a run at Ekman-Larsson. You dummy Doan. You go after their skill players. You don't leave the Taylor Halls and Nail Yakupovs of the world to do it on their own. Just stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
And I'm so tired of having to point out the refereeing, but I must again because it was that terrible. Things were bad enough when the two weak tripping calls came in succession, but what went on in the third, where players weren't being protected during a dangerous situation was really upsetting. This league wonders why it has problems...well letting Michalek chop away with his stick for 3 straight shifts with no penalties called is a pretty good example to look at.
Getting back to more game details - does anyone know why the Oilers defencemen insist on simply shooting the puck out of our zone and giving it away so often? They all did that an absolute ton tonight. Almost no solid passing to be found anywhere. When they weren't dumping the puck away, they were letting the PHX forwards skate right by them with the puck...sooo...yeah.
---------------
Dubnyk
- He was terrible. Sure he had stretches of smooth sailing where he made some decent saves but those goals were unforgivable. He's played enough strong games this year that the team should be in a playoff spot so I don't hold that reality against him, but no excuses for tonight's effort. Unfocused and cost us.
Fistric-Whitney
- I did actually see Whitney skate into the corner well and beat an opposition forward in a battle for the puck tonight. That was good but the rest of the night for both of these guys was pretty horrible. Fistric was having a really hard time moving the puck and making any kind of decision. He got caught standing still several times. Whitney had some decent moments with the man advantage but otherwise spent the night passing to the wrong team and making coverage mistakes. He'd just stand around for no apparent reason.
Smid-Petry
- Certainly one of Petry's worst games of the year. He kept passing the puck tape-to-tape to the opposition. He wasn't even close to making plays. I can recall maybe one good skate in the offensive zone that ended in nothing. Smid didn't play well either. He got caught in the offensive zone after giving up an easy possession and creating a Phoenix 3-on-1 the other way that thankfully came to nothing. He was just okay in the defensive zone, which is well below his usual standard. No big mistakes that went in the net but several that could have.
N. Schultz-J. Schultz
- No fireworks from either of these guys and both got caught standing still or out of position several times during the game much like the rest of the D group. Not a lot of crisp passing either.
Brown-Smithson-Petrell
- I was somewhat looking forward to watching Smithson's first game at Rexall to see if maybe there was something I'd missed in past looks at him where he really seemed like nothing special at all. I was disappointed. Smithson seems so far to be Eric Belanger without the positioning or the goofy shooting technique, plus some hit attempts. I stress the word attempts because tonight he couldn't really direct his momentum in any meaningful way and ran into people but didn't really do anything. Petrell at least showed a little bit of fire, skated some and played a decent game. Brown was basically invisible save for a tip in front of the net. I don't know what it is about the Oilers' culture or coaches or what but he sure has toned things down since the first couple games.
Smyth-Horcoff-Yakupov
- Watching this line was really strange. The thing that was most striking was how incredibly slow and out of it Yakupov made Horcoff and Smyth look. They were constantly behind the play. #64 had to freelance all over the ice for the unti to get anything done at all. When they did it was a credit to him and pretty much nothing else. Nail was fairly quiet early, but came on crazy in the third. Loved that he was trying to put the team on his shoulders and didn't take any crap from anyone. Not having him out there at the end of the game, after being the only guy on the ice all night who looked like he might actually win us the game, was a travesty. Horcoff wasn't too bad even if he did look like an ocean liner at times. I don't blame him for the penalty at the very end of the game. It made no sense based on what I saw live or on the replay. If anything Mike Smith should have gotten a penalty for losing his crap. Horcoff did get a great feed from Eberle that needed to be converted. He had all the time in the world and almost looked like he was so shocked he couldn't decide what to do with it. Horrible. Smyth at least took on Doan at the end a bit I guess. The rest of the game he looked useless, slow and uninterested. People give #94 the benefit of the doubt when it comes to effort. If that's all he's got, then he needs to hang em up. Badly.
Paajarvi-Gagner-Hemsky
- Nothing from these guys tonight. Hemsky's obviously hurt and while the spirit was willing, as evidenced by second and third efforts all night to make SOMETHING, ANYTHING happen out there, but the body is not cooperating. He didn't have a very good game and couldn't get passes through where he'd normally have been able to. Still a couple moments that could have swung things but not enough of them. I don't know what's up with Gagner. He's gone completely silent all of a sudden, losing pucks and not playing the compensatory physical game that usually accompanies his offensive lulls. He's just not creating anything and hasn't adjusted to getting open either. Magnus at least hit some holes with speed, hit a couple people and was okay tonight. He really didn't play well with the puck though. That whiffed slapper he took that wound up in the corner was just sad.
Hall-Hopkins-Eberle
- I'd say early on Eberle was getting the chances and driving the bus a little. Hall took over this role at the end. The thing was, none of these guys were much good for any more than one shift in a row tonight. I don't know if it was effort with them but their execution was WAY off. Imprecise shooting, sloppy passing, carrying no speed out of our zone or into their zone...just nothing going tonight. Why they also took a bunch of lazy shots from the outside with no drive to the net and no chance of scoring was rather baffling. I'm not sure why these guys have suddenly lost the touch, but this looks eerily similar to earlier in the year when they just sort of short-circuited. They lost their roll at the absolute wrong time.
---------------
I'm not sure whether this team is tired or lazy at this point. It has to be one of them because that effort was pathetic. It is one thing to lose when a team shuts you down...that wasn't this game at all. They had nothing to give, didn't execute on anything and were outcoached badly once again. Way too many mistakes. This team has no excuse for being where there are in the standings right now...much less where they are likely to wind up.
I was never too optimistic that the Oilers would make the playoffs. Management has passed up to many chances to add depth to survive injuries and gives vets and rookies alike a kick in the pants when necessary. There are so many guaranteed jobs on this team right now. It really shouldn't be that way for a squad that has been easily the NHL's worst in the past few years.
And for the record...bouncing up 3 or 4 spots from the very bottom because some of your draft picks aren't 18 years old anymore is not progress.
Ugh...just sad and frustrating at this point.
4/2/13
2013 LMHF Report Game #17
EDMONTON 4
VS.
CALGARY 1
-------------------
Was I watching a different hockey game tonight? I'm really not understanding all these post game comments about Calgary "getting chances" and "taking it to us at points". They really make no sense to me. There was hardly any time tonight where this game wasn't under our control. We also didn't start all that well...even after Schultz had scored we were sitting back a little bit. After Hall's goal that changed. Calgary was terrible all night. They had nothing...especially in the defensive zone where they could not be bothered to stay in strong defensive position. This was glaringly obvious on the first two goals where the defenders essentially backed away from both Schultz and Hall. They did nothing to impede progress whatsoever.
Actual conversation right before the Oilers first goal:
LMHF#2 "You know who hasn't done anything lately?"
LMHF#1 "Justin Schultz?"
LMHF#2 "Yep."
He scored about 15 seconds later. You could kind of see what was going on in the play, but it was still really funny the way that worked out.
Another game where we get hosed by a lack of powerplays. We should have had them (not to the extent of the Vancouver game) and were not getting any calls. This has made a difference in the feel and indeed the score in the last couple of games. They're going to start again eventually as we're still doing what we need to in order that the penalties should be drawn.
Definitely a different feel in the building right now. You can tell people are getting excited again. The thing is that this excitement is fragile. Taking it for granted would be a major mistake, just as taking for granted the steps forward some of the Oilers players are taking by not getting them some reinforcements would be a major mistake.
Calgary fans are at least more respectful than Canucks fans in Edmonton. I love beating them, don't get me wrong, but man that was a horrible roster they had to watch tonight.
--------------------
Dubnyk
- The first period was probably his worst in a few games. He didn't allow any goals which is largely a credit to his defencemen. There were a ton of semi-juicy rebounds and no one got any of them in the open. They simply resulted in weak shots on net which he stopped. After the first though, he was very good. He settled in, controlled the puck and was ahead of the play rather than reacting to it. That's huge for a goalie and most evident on a save in the third period where he was across the net well in advance of a solid shooting chance. Great stuff. Not first star great (Schultz), but still exactly what we need.
Smid-Petry
- Very solid. Petry had one bad sequence in the second period where he got turned around and gave the puck away pretty badly (oddly right after nailing somebody) but other than that he was aggressive, well positioned and moved the puck. Can't really ask for much more from him. Smid was really good tonight. He was after all the Flames and especially Blake Comeau for some reason. He didn't take any crap and punished when he could. He was also solid with the puck and shut the play down effectively a number of times. Even blocked a tough one off his foot which the crowd gave him solid props for. Well done #5. Glad you'll be aboard for a few more years.
J. Schultz-N.Schultz
- Nick was probably as good as I've seen him play in a long time. He was a lot more decisive with the puck and didn't get caught out of position defensively. Calgary didn't really push the play so he didn't have to deal with intense pressure very much, but he did what he needed to. Justin was really good. He scored a really nice goal, making a good read to jump into the play, then took advantage of the time to make a nice little move and finish with authority. His assist on the Hall goal was a great little read which teed the play up perfectly. I didn't catch his second assist. What I did catch was a few defensive plays he made, especially in the second period, which were excellent. He was using his body to separate the man and play the puck just like Joni Pitkanen used to. I suspect this will become a larger part of his game as he matures and improves. Really strong and important game for him that will hopefully get his offensive game rolling.
Potter-Whitney
- Whitney had some positive moments tonight mixed in with some instances where he got caught standing around pretty badly. He didn't really make the offensive effort to balance it out but also didn't cost the team so I'd call it just a mixed bag. Potter was pretty much the same way, though more physical in the corners than #6. Good enough, yes, but we need to improve on these two if we're going to get anywhere.
Smyth-Petrell-Brown
- Generally quiet night for these guys. They had a couple productive offensive shifts in the third but were otherwise not particularly interesting. Less physical play than in previous games. Smyth was probably better than he has been lately. More skating to pucks and less reaching out his stick...though he did make some absurdly lazy efforts in the second period. Petrell got a slapper away but otherwise didn't stir up anything interesting. Brown made a nice pass at centre ice that I remember, but otherwise I spent the evening laughing at some of the plays that he made in the corners. Really, really weak puck retrieval.
Jones-Horcoff-Yakupov
- Very glad to see #64 get a goal. It wasn't the greatest shot in the world but it was strong enough to get through and that is all that matters. He was going to the right places more often than usual tonight and was rewarded with some nice shooting chances. He nearly beat MacDonald clean on a good, hard shot in the second period. Picking up an assist on Jones' goal was largely just a bonus I imagine. He is still having some trouble reading the play to use his acceleration and beat people. Too often he waits too long. Sometimes this is just out of caution and trying to be defensively responsible (on one of the shift specifically he dropped back low, stole the puck, then skated it out of trouble very nicely), but other times it is because he is too late to make up his mind to be aggressive. The coaches will hopefully catch this on tape and make a suggestion that he fly the zone every now and again...but I don't exactly think Buchberger will catch that. Horcoff was pretty solid tonight. He was in good position, moved the puck okay and had a couple chances. That full windup slapper he took was pretty weird to say the least. He actually got some power behind that. Those of you who've read for some time know that I am far from Ryan Jones' biggest fan. I will give credit to him for a 2-point night, and especially the quick little pass he made to Yakupov to set him up. The thing is, he was still leaving the zone too early and playing the wrong spot in the offensive zone tonight. He also botched a ton of clean chances to move up ice when the D or one of his linemates got him the puck at center. He had serious problems controlling the puck. Replacing him with a higher quality option could make this line go in a big way.
Paajarvi-Gagner-Hemsky
- Another quiet statistical night for this line but for the most part they were quite strong. They were only credited with 4 shots but that seems really low. Positionally, they were solid in all three zones, not losing the puck in any dangerous spots. They moved the puck around effectively, drove in effectively but just couldn't pull the trigger on the chances they were getting. Magnus was skating well, but does need to keep his head up as the Flames started targeting him to some degree. Gagner was a little out of his usual lanes and that meant that he didn't get the free space to shoot that he usually does. He was very strong on the boards, both in the offensive and defensive zones, clearly making an effort to get there and make plays. Hemsky was pretty decent, getting shots away and moving the puck forward. I don't know what is wrong with him but if it is true he has a nagging injury I'm glad the coaches took the opportunity to get him some rest at the end of tonight's game. He's been hit fairly hard in a couple recent games and I'm hoping it is nothing major. We need #83 and the leadership role he plays on this line going down the stretch.
Hall-Hopkins-Eberle
- A bit of an off game for these guys, but certainly good enough which is what matters. I figured Hall would simply one-time the puck or make a quick release play on his goal-producing chance in the first. It was almost awkward to take that backhander but he took a great one so it didn't matter at all. Hall also missed on a great little wrist shot chance in the first, and had Eberle inexplicably rush a pass and miss him later that period. He was free and clear. #4 has definitely been reading these chances to go on the fast break much better as of late. His play calmed down after the first and it looked like he as well as his linemates were rushing passes a little bit for the rest of the game, but you also got the impression that energy was being held back a little bit. I'm fine with that to be honest when the game is going like this one did. Eberle was pretty solid aside from that pass. He got to the slot and had some really good chances to score but just couldn't make it happen. No worries now that he's playing better again. Hopkins was a bit of a mystery. Somewhat like Yakupov, he wasn't beating anyone clean and had more problems getting his shot on net tonight. I hope he's working on that. Defensively though, he was excellent.
--------------
No complaints from me. If we want to spend the rest of the year getting out of the gate like the last two games we'll be fine. Either we'll score a small bunch and then make the other team take the game from us or we'll just keep the pressure up until we collapse them.
One thing to remember is that good teams do indeed ration energy. They take easy wins and often back off a little bit. We've basically played two hard periods in the last two games. That could really pay off in the coming games. The only counter to that is not picking up bad habits. I didn't really see any on display tonight.
VS.
CALGARY 1
-------------------
Was I watching a different hockey game tonight? I'm really not understanding all these post game comments about Calgary "getting chances" and "taking it to us at points". They really make no sense to me. There was hardly any time tonight where this game wasn't under our control. We also didn't start all that well...even after Schultz had scored we were sitting back a little bit. After Hall's goal that changed. Calgary was terrible all night. They had nothing...especially in the defensive zone where they could not be bothered to stay in strong defensive position. This was glaringly obvious on the first two goals where the defenders essentially backed away from both Schultz and Hall. They did nothing to impede progress whatsoever.
Actual conversation right before the Oilers first goal:
LMHF#2 "You know who hasn't done anything lately?"
LMHF#1 "Justin Schultz?"
LMHF#2 "Yep."
He scored about 15 seconds later. You could kind of see what was going on in the play, but it was still really funny the way that worked out.
Another game where we get hosed by a lack of powerplays. We should have had them (not to the extent of the Vancouver game) and were not getting any calls. This has made a difference in the feel and indeed the score in the last couple of games. They're going to start again eventually as we're still doing what we need to in order that the penalties should be drawn.
Definitely a different feel in the building right now. You can tell people are getting excited again. The thing is that this excitement is fragile. Taking it for granted would be a major mistake, just as taking for granted the steps forward some of the Oilers players are taking by not getting them some reinforcements would be a major mistake.
Calgary fans are at least more respectful than Canucks fans in Edmonton. I love beating them, don't get me wrong, but man that was a horrible roster they had to watch tonight.
--------------------
Dubnyk
- The first period was probably his worst in a few games. He didn't allow any goals which is largely a credit to his defencemen. There were a ton of semi-juicy rebounds and no one got any of them in the open. They simply resulted in weak shots on net which he stopped. After the first though, he was very good. He settled in, controlled the puck and was ahead of the play rather than reacting to it. That's huge for a goalie and most evident on a save in the third period where he was across the net well in advance of a solid shooting chance. Great stuff. Not first star great (Schultz), but still exactly what we need.
Smid-Petry
- Very solid. Petry had one bad sequence in the second period where he got turned around and gave the puck away pretty badly (oddly right after nailing somebody) but other than that he was aggressive, well positioned and moved the puck. Can't really ask for much more from him. Smid was really good tonight. He was after all the Flames and especially Blake Comeau for some reason. He didn't take any crap and punished when he could. He was also solid with the puck and shut the play down effectively a number of times. Even blocked a tough one off his foot which the crowd gave him solid props for. Well done #5. Glad you'll be aboard for a few more years.
J. Schultz-N.Schultz
- Nick was probably as good as I've seen him play in a long time. He was a lot more decisive with the puck and didn't get caught out of position defensively. Calgary didn't really push the play so he didn't have to deal with intense pressure very much, but he did what he needed to. Justin was really good. He scored a really nice goal, making a good read to jump into the play, then took advantage of the time to make a nice little move and finish with authority. His assist on the Hall goal was a great little read which teed the play up perfectly. I didn't catch his second assist. What I did catch was a few defensive plays he made, especially in the second period, which were excellent. He was using his body to separate the man and play the puck just like Joni Pitkanen used to. I suspect this will become a larger part of his game as he matures and improves. Really strong and important game for him that will hopefully get his offensive game rolling.
Potter-Whitney
- Whitney had some positive moments tonight mixed in with some instances where he got caught standing around pretty badly. He didn't really make the offensive effort to balance it out but also didn't cost the team so I'd call it just a mixed bag. Potter was pretty much the same way, though more physical in the corners than #6. Good enough, yes, but we need to improve on these two if we're going to get anywhere.
Smyth-Petrell-Brown
- Generally quiet night for these guys. They had a couple productive offensive shifts in the third but were otherwise not particularly interesting. Less physical play than in previous games. Smyth was probably better than he has been lately. More skating to pucks and less reaching out his stick...though he did make some absurdly lazy efforts in the second period. Petrell got a slapper away but otherwise didn't stir up anything interesting. Brown made a nice pass at centre ice that I remember, but otherwise I spent the evening laughing at some of the plays that he made in the corners. Really, really weak puck retrieval.
Jones-Horcoff-Yakupov
- Very glad to see #64 get a goal. It wasn't the greatest shot in the world but it was strong enough to get through and that is all that matters. He was going to the right places more often than usual tonight and was rewarded with some nice shooting chances. He nearly beat MacDonald clean on a good, hard shot in the second period. Picking up an assist on Jones' goal was largely just a bonus I imagine. He is still having some trouble reading the play to use his acceleration and beat people. Too often he waits too long. Sometimes this is just out of caution and trying to be defensively responsible (on one of the shift specifically he dropped back low, stole the puck, then skated it out of trouble very nicely), but other times it is because he is too late to make up his mind to be aggressive. The coaches will hopefully catch this on tape and make a suggestion that he fly the zone every now and again...but I don't exactly think Buchberger will catch that. Horcoff was pretty solid tonight. He was in good position, moved the puck okay and had a couple chances. That full windup slapper he took was pretty weird to say the least. He actually got some power behind that. Those of you who've read for some time know that I am far from Ryan Jones' biggest fan. I will give credit to him for a 2-point night, and especially the quick little pass he made to Yakupov to set him up. The thing is, he was still leaving the zone too early and playing the wrong spot in the offensive zone tonight. He also botched a ton of clean chances to move up ice when the D or one of his linemates got him the puck at center. He had serious problems controlling the puck. Replacing him with a higher quality option could make this line go in a big way.
Paajarvi-Gagner-Hemsky
- Another quiet statistical night for this line but for the most part they were quite strong. They were only credited with 4 shots but that seems really low. Positionally, they were solid in all three zones, not losing the puck in any dangerous spots. They moved the puck around effectively, drove in effectively but just couldn't pull the trigger on the chances they were getting. Magnus was skating well, but does need to keep his head up as the Flames started targeting him to some degree. Gagner was a little out of his usual lanes and that meant that he didn't get the free space to shoot that he usually does. He was very strong on the boards, both in the offensive and defensive zones, clearly making an effort to get there and make plays. Hemsky was pretty decent, getting shots away and moving the puck forward. I don't know what is wrong with him but if it is true he has a nagging injury I'm glad the coaches took the opportunity to get him some rest at the end of tonight's game. He's been hit fairly hard in a couple recent games and I'm hoping it is nothing major. We need #83 and the leadership role he plays on this line going down the stretch.
Hall-Hopkins-Eberle
- A bit of an off game for these guys, but certainly good enough which is what matters. I figured Hall would simply one-time the puck or make a quick release play on his goal-producing chance in the first. It was almost awkward to take that backhander but he took a great one so it didn't matter at all. Hall also missed on a great little wrist shot chance in the first, and had Eberle inexplicably rush a pass and miss him later that period. He was free and clear. #4 has definitely been reading these chances to go on the fast break much better as of late. His play calmed down after the first and it looked like he as well as his linemates were rushing passes a little bit for the rest of the game, but you also got the impression that energy was being held back a little bit. I'm fine with that to be honest when the game is going like this one did. Eberle was pretty solid aside from that pass. He got to the slot and had some really good chances to score but just couldn't make it happen. No worries now that he's playing better again. Hopkins was a bit of a mystery. Somewhat like Yakupov, he wasn't beating anyone clean and had more problems getting his shot on net tonight. I hope he's working on that. Defensively though, he was excellent.
--------------
No complaints from me. If we want to spend the rest of the year getting out of the gate like the last two games we'll be fine. Either we'll score a small bunch and then make the other team take the game from us or we'll just keep the pressure up until we collapse them.
One thing to remember is that good teams do indeed ration energy. They take easy wins and often back off a little bit. We've basically played two hard periods in the last two games. That could really pay off in the coming games. The only counter to that is not picking up bad habits. I didn't really see any on display tonight.
3/31/13
2013 LMHF Report Game #16
EDMONTON 4
VS.
VANCOUVER ZERO. ZIP. NOTHING.
---------------------------
I haven't watched the Oilers do that to a team in probably seven years. It isn't that they stormed out of the gate like they did. That has happened even during some of our darkest days. It is what happened after that. It was the rest of the game that was most interesting to me.
When we've gotten big leads in recent years (such as against Chicago not that long ago) and immediately backed off, allowing the opposition back in the game to some degree if they put forth any effort whatsoever. This is a sad way to win a game even if you come out and score 6 or 7 in the first. It just makes you worry.
Tonight we got a huge lead and then said to that incredibly annoying Canucks team that has given us so many damn fits...come and take it from us. Good effing luck.
This was not a night of sitting back even though we didn't score another goal. This was "we know we're in control and we're going to show it to you, rub it in, and make you know it." We controlled the puck, passed more than usual, made sure our plays were going to work and went about the business of a win. This wasn't as huge or gradual as the game 6 win against Carolina quite obviously, but there were times when it felt like that.
This squad went for every puck, didn't second guess and committed to each decision. Amazing to watch a team do that.
Not to mention the referees certainly called the game to the score. We should have had an absolute ton of powerplays. All earned through effort and making the Canucks frustrated. It was rather disappointing that this didn't come to pass because that team earned the chance to rack up some crooked numbers tonight.
In the end of course it didn't matter. This game was ours from the first.
I don't agree with Vancouver's decision to pull Schneider. What exactly was he supposed to do on either of those shots? Certainly take a time out but that was an instance where the luxury of Luongo led to a bad coaching decision.
I am disappointed no Oilers player took the opportunity to rearrange Kevin Bieksa's face tonight. If there was ever a time and a place to do it, this was it. Mike Brown should have been told to do so by Krueger. If his play wasn't pathetic enough, the jerk even took off with the game puck because, ya know, he's cool like that. What a loser.
That will be the extent of my negativity I believe. Way too many good things tonight to bother with some of the nit-picky stuff.
----------------
Taylor Hall took this game over from the very beginning. I wasn't surprised he got the chances he did. The man can find a gap and make a team give up a chance with the very best of them. I was a little surprised he got those first two shots on net top shelf like he did. That's something that has come a long way from the start of his career as I'd maintain that he would fire both of those over the net. Tonight he made no mistake and it wasn't even really a big deal. He just came in, took a shot and picked the corner. Another day at the office. Wow. The first goal was interesting in that he nearly had a referee and a linesman in his way. Hall's had more run-ins with the officiating crew this year than I can remember anyone else having. Part of it is that his speed is on you so fast that I think a lot of the officials struggle to anticipate it. The good news is tonight it didn't go the other way and end up in our net. Hall's third was a no-brainer. On a night like tonight, if you're a talented player and it is going that way for you, you go to the net just like he did and it tends to find a way. It was a lot like Gagner in the 8-point game. You just knew. He didn't get any more but he could've had 6 or 7 tonight and not batted an eye. Again, between the missed powerplays and the fact that the Oilers played a much more deliberate afterwards held his totals in check a touch. He also passed to Ryan Whitney on a 2-on-1 where Luongo was dead which baffled me. There were more chances in the third. He had this one under control, period.
His linemates Eberle and Hall played pretty tremendous games as well. They both had their passing hats on for most of the night and both made beautiful things happen. Hall's second goal was set up on an absolutely perfect play by Hopkins to send Hall in free and clear. Eberle was skating to the puck well and dishing passes off all night. He set up Hall for that Luongo highlight save in the third. He also made an amazing effort while tired at the end of a shift in the second to drive the net for a scoring chance and drew a penalty. The entire line was just rolling all night. Imagine what they could have done with the 8 or powerplays they deserved.
The Paajarvi-Gagner-Hemsky line didn't put on a show tonight but were still quite good. Hemsky set up a number of chances and got a couple himself. I can't believe he missed the combo of passes from Magnus and Sam that led to him with an open net in the first to make the game 5-0. It was a bit of an awkward sequence but he never misses those and it was weird. He also took a big hit from Sestito and kept going which was admirable. Magnus was excellent and drove the net for two great scoring chances off the posts. Very solid game from him. Gagner played more of a support role tonight but did his job.
Nail Yakupov did some really nice things this evening. There were a few good passes but I think most will remember his hit on one of the Sedins in the second period. The kid knows when to lean into someone and definitely uses his skating to great effect for hitting. He's the anti-J.F. Jacques in this sense. He gets the absolute most out of his speed, size and hitting opportunities. Horcoff had one of his better nights in a while, pressing the play and staying disciplined rather than overskating. He is built for a team that stakes itself to early leads for sure. He just hadn't remembered how to play with confidence like we saw tonight for some time. We're not going to talk about Ryan Jones because I said I wouldn't be focusing on the negative.
The fourth line did some of its job. I certainly can't complain about the job Smyth and Petrell did. Lennart specifically took the opportunity to get himself a couple decent scoring chances and get shots away.
All I really want to say about the D is that they were excellent tonight. They were aggressive, hit people, made good passes and hurt the Canucks when they got the opportunity. As a unit they were exactly what you needed them to be.
Dubnyk wasn't tested a lot, but made probably 5 really excellent saves to preserve his SO. I was impressed by his confident positioning and demeanor, as he sometimes allows the pressure of a lead to make him nervous. Not tonight. Very well done.
----------
Above all else, it is fun to smack that hockey team around and expose their weaknesses. We did it.
The key will be to remember the lessons we learned tonight and build on them. Continue attacking. Play with confidence. Impose your game. These things are true when you're winning 4-0, tied 2-2 or losing 4-0. They are true from the drop of the puck in every single game. The things we did tonight will work. Period.
VS.
VANCOUVER ZERO. ZIP. NOTHING.
---------------------------
I haven't watched the Oilers do that to a team in probably seven years. It isn't that they stormed out of the gate like they did. That has happened even during some of our darkest days. It is what happened after that. It was the rest of the game that was most interesting to me.
When we've gotten big leads in recent years (such as against Chicago not that long ago) and immediately backed off, allowing the opposition back in the game to some degree if they put forth any effort whatsoever. This is a sad way to win a game even if you come out and score 6 or 7 in the first. It just makes you worry.
Tonight we got a huge lead and then said to that incredibly annoying Canucks team that has given us so many damn fits...come and take it from us. Good effing luck.
This was not a night of sitting back even though we didn't score another goal. This was "we know we're in control and we're going to show it to you, rub it in, and make you know it." We controlled the puck, passed more than usual, made sure our plays were going to work and went about the business of a win. This wasn't as huge or gradual as the game 6 win against Carolina quite obviously, but there were times when it felt like that.
This squad went for every puck, didn't second guess and committed to each decision. Amazing to watch a team do that.
Not to mention the referees certainly called the game to the score. We should have had an absolute ton of powerplays. All earned through effort and making the Canucks frustrated. It was rather disappointing that this didn't come to pass because that team earned the chance to rack up some crooked numbers tonight.
In the end of course it didn't matter. This game was ours from the first.
I don't agree with Vancouver's decision to pull Schneider. What exactly was he supposed to do on either of those shots? Certainly take a time out but that was an instance where the luxury of Luongo led to a bad coaching decision.
I am disappointed no Oilers player took the opportunity to rearrange Kevin Bieksa's face tonight. If there was ever a time and a place to do it, this was it. Mike Brown should have been told to do so by Krueger. If his play wasn't pathetic enough, the jerk even took off with the game puck because, ya know, he's cool like that. What a loser.
That will be the extent of my negativity I believe. Way too many good things tonight to bother with some of the nit-picky stuff.
----------------
Taylor Hall took this game over from the very beginning. I wasn't surprised he got the chances he did. The man can find a gap and make a team give up a chance with the very best of them. I was a little surprised he got those first two shots on net top shelf like he did. That's something that has come a long way from the start of his career as I'd maintain that he would fire both of those over the net. Tonight he made no mistake and it wasn't even really a big deal. He just came in, took a shot and picked the corner. Another day at the office. Wow. The first goal was interesting in that he nearly had a referee and a linesman in his way. Hall's had more run-ins with the officiating crew this year than I can remember anyone else having. Part of it is that his speed is on you so fast that I think a lot of the officials struggle to anticipate it. The good news is tonight it didn't go the other way and end up in our net. Hall's third was a no-brainer. On a night like tonight, if you're a talented player and it is going that way for you, you go to the net just like he did and it tends to find a way. It was a lot like Gagner in the 8-point game. You just knew. He didn't get any more but he could've had 6 or 7 tonight and not batted an eye. Again, between the missed powerplays and the fact that the Oilers played a much more deliberate afterwards held his totals in check a touch. He also passed to Ryan Whitney on a 2-on-1 where Luongo was dead which baffled me. There were more chances in the third. He had this one under control, period.
His linemates Eberle and Hall played pretty tremendous games as well. They both had their passing hats on for most of the night and both made beautiful things happen. Hall's second goal was set up on an absolutely perfect play by Hopkins to send Hall in free and clear. Eberle was skating to the puck well and dishing passes off all night. He set up Hall for that Luongo highlight save in the third. He also made an amazing effort while tired at the end of a shift in the second to drive the net for a scoring chance and drew a penalty. The entire line was just rolling all night. Imagine what they could have done with the 8 or powerplays they deserved.
The Paajarvi-Gagner-Hemsky line didn't put on a show tonight but were still quite good. Hemsky set up a number of chances and got a couple himself. I can't believe he missed the combo of passes from Magnus and Sam that led to him with an open net in the first to make the game 5-0. It was a bit of an awkward sequence but he never misses those and it was weird. He also took a big hit from Sestito and kept going which was admirable. Magnus was excellent and drove the net for two great scoring chances off the posts. Very solid game from him. Gagner played more of a support role tonight but did his job.
Nail Yakupov did some really nice things this evening. There were a few good passes but I think most will remember his hit on one of the Sedins in the second period. The kid knows when to lean into someone and definitely uses his skating to great effect for hitting. He's the anti-J.F. Jacques in this sense. He gets the absolute most out of his speed, size and hitting opportunities. Horcoff had one of his better nights in a while, pressing the play and staying disciplined rather than overskating. He is built for a team that stakes itself to early leads for sure. He just hadn't remembered how to play with confidence like we saw tonight for some time. We're not going to talk about Ryan Jones because I said I wouldn't be focusing on the negative.
The fourth line did some of its job. I certainly can't complain about the job Smyth and Petrell did. Lennart specifically took the opportunity to get himself a couple decent scoring chances and get shots away.
All I really want to say about the D is that they were excellent tonight. They were aggressive, hit people, made good passes and hurt the Canucks when they got the opportunity. As a unit they were exactly what you needed them to be.
Dubnyk wasn't tested a lot, but made probably 5 really excellent saves to preserve his SO. I was impressed by his confident positioning and demeanor, as he sometimes allows the pressure of a lead to make him nervous. Not tonight. Very well done.
----------
Above all else, it is fun to smack that hockey team around and expose their weaknesses. We did it.
The key will be to remember the lessons we learned tonight and build on them. Continue attacking. Play with confidence. Impose your game. These things are true when you're winning 4-0, tied 2-2 or losing 4-0. They are true from the drop of the puck in every single game. The things we did tonight will work. Period.
3/23/13
2013 LMHF Report Game #14
EDMONTON 0
VS.
ST. LOUIS More than zero
--------------
This report is being done mainly for posterity's sake. I'm not going to waste a lot of effort writing about whatever the hell THAT was. Frankly I've already gotten more enjoyment out of my very late dinner of hot wings and curly fries than that game provided. The best moment of the whole game was when some girl licked a guy's face on kiss cam and then won the BVJ tickets. Seriously. This was 1993 bad...
Those of you who follow these posts know I don't go really negative very often. I try to see the positive even in the worst of games but this was really hard to take. Then I'm on my ride home hearing the media in this town making more excuses for this hockey team and also claiming that the players aren't happy that the fans booed them tonight. I'm not sure I buy that as I only heard Horcoff's words and I know how the media operates when the team plays a stinker...but simply claiming the Blues were good and that fans shouldn't have booed that abomination of a "hockey game" is a joke. To think that I for some reason should cheer for a team that has been as bad as this one for so long, has absolutely STUNK at home since the beginning of last season, and put forth absolutely no effort after what qualifies as a three week vacation in terms of an NHL scheduling break...You've got to be completely insane. It is bad enough that this horrible homestand we just choked away is considered "playing better". We've really been that horrible. Amazing.
First off, the Blues played a solid defensive game and that was it. The Oilers have beaten plenty of teams that have played solid defensive games. The other squad pushing back a little against your attack is no reason to throw in the towel and play like complete boobs. I saw more basic passes missed tonight than I've seen in a long time. I haven't seen that many players skate away from finishing their check in forever either. The goals the Blues scored were pretty bloody weak and the result of bad efforts by the Oilers, rather than strong ones by St. Louis. You can't just give away games like that and expect respect.
The Oilers had precisely one line going for any significant part of the game. The Hall-Horcoff-Hemsky line generated chances in the first and second periods. Hall is still only maybe 75% but was certainly better. Horcoff was just okay and Hemsky made some things happen. By the third things had degenerated to the point where even these guys weren't effective and Horcoff was as bad as I've seen him in a long time. Hall kept falling down, couldn't beat anyone and couldn't even seem to get his shot away. Something's up there.
Pretty much everyone else was utterly terrible for almost 60. Let us highlight some of the worst offenders:
Mike Brown has already stopped hitting people. He also made horrible plays with the puck, skated himself into corners several times and it was actually embarrassing to think that guy we watched tonight was on an NHL roster.
Ryan Smyth spent the whole game reaching his stick at people while not skating.
Eric Belanger is an embarrassment to the jersey and should never see Oilers ice again. It is bad enough that he's fallen off as far as he has since we've acquired him, but tonight he peeled away from every check, made no offensive effort and basically just quit on each shift at the first sign of adversity. It made me sick.
Ryan Jones still thinks he's a defenceman in the offensive zone.
Ryan Whitney should hang em up to preserve his moderate legacy. This is not the guy we watched before and it never will be again. He was horrendous tonight. We really should have moved him by now. It sucks what has happened to him but we can't will him to be better.
Why won't Nick Schultz hit anyone or make a decent pass?
Watching tonight hurt my brain. Listening to the commentary after the game made me want to damage it.
How long are people going to continue making excuses for this hockey team? After games like tonight, this team should hear it from everyone, fans, media, and themselves. They should expect it, accept it and take responsibility. The short season opportunity these guys are trying so hard to throw away isn't going to come around again for a long time. Having a great home schedule to close the season where you're constantly playing the teams you need to edge out to get into the playoffs is an opportunity you don't see often either.
That's about all I can muster for now. If you feel like ranting go ahead and do it here. If you feel like defending this hockey team, get your eyes checked and your head examined. The excuses are so old at this point.
VS.
ST. LOUIS More than zero
--------------
This report is being done mainly for posterity's sake. I'm not going to waste a lot of effort writing about whatever the hell THAT was. Frankly I've already gotten more enjoyment out of my very late dinner of hot wings and curly fries than that game provided. The best moment of the whole game was when some girl licked a guy's face on kiss cam and then won the BVJ tickets. Seriously. This was 1993 bad...
Those of you who follow these posts know I don't go really negative very often. I try to see the positive even in the worst of games but this was really hard to take. Then I'm on my ride home hearing the media in this town making more excuses for this hockey team and also claiming that the players aren't happy that the fans booed them tonight. I'm not sure I buy that as I only heard Horcoff's words and I know how the media operates when the team plays a stinker...but simply claiming the Blues were good and that fans shouldn't have booed that abomination of a "hockey game" is a joke. To think that I for some reason should cheer for a team that has been as bad as this one for so long, has absolutely STUNK at home since the beginning of last season, and put forth absolutely no effort after what qualifies as a three week vacation in terms of an NHL scheduling break...You've got to be completely insane. It is bad enough that this horrible homestand we just choked away is considered "playing better". We've really been that horrible. Amazing.
First off, the Blues played a solid defensive game and that was it. The Oilers have beaten plenty of teams that have played solid defensive games. The other squad pushing back a little against your attack is no reason to throw in the towel and play like complete boobs. I saw more basic passes missed tonight than I've seen in a long time. I haven't seen that many players skate away from finishing their check in forever either. The goals the Blues scored were pretty bloody weak and the result of bad efforts by the Oilers, rather than strong ones by St. Louis. You can't just give away games like that and expect respect.
The Oilers had precisely one line going for any significant part of the game. The Hall-Horcoff-Hemsky line generated chances in the first and second periods. Hall is still only maybe 75% but was certainly better. Horcoff was just okay and Hemsky made some things happen. By the third things had degenerated to the point where even these guys weren't effective and Horcoff was as bad as I've seen him in a long time. Hall kept falling down, couldn't beat anyone and couldn't even seem to get his shot away. Something's up there.
Pretty much everyone else was utterly terrible for almost 60. Let us highlight some of the worst offenders:
Mike Brown has already stopped hitting people. He also made horrible plays with the puck, skated himself into corners several times and it was actually embarrassing to think that guy we watched tonight was on an NHL roster.
Ryan Smyth spent the whole game reaching his stick at people while not skating.
Eric Belanger is an embarrassment to the jersey and should never see Oilers ice again. It is bad enough that he's fallen off as far as he has since we've acquired him, but tonight he peeled away from every check, made no offensive effort and basically just quit on each shift at the first sign of adversity. It made me sick.
Ryan Jones still thinks he's a defenceman in the offensive zone.
Ryan Whitney should hang em up to preserve his moderate legacy. This is not the guy we watched before and it never will be again. He was horrendous tonight. We really should have moved him by now. It sucks what has happened to him but we can't will him to be better.
Why won't Nick Schultz hit anyone or make a decent pass?
Watching tonight hurt my brain. Listening to the commentary after the game made me want to damage it.
How long are people going to continue making excuses for this hockey team? After games like tonight, this team should hear it from everyone, fans, media, and themselves. They should expect it, accept it and take responsibility. The short season opportunity these guys are trying so hard to throw away isn't going to come around again for a long time. Having a great home schedule to close the season where you're constantly playing the teams you need to edge out to get into the playoffs is an opportunity you don't see often either.
That's about all I can muster for now. If you feel like ranting go ahead and do it here. If you feel like defending this hockey team, get your eyes checked and your head examined. The excuses are so old at this point.
3/21/13
2013 LMHF Report Game #13
EDMONTON 3
VS.
SAN JOSE 4
In a freaking shootout....
------------------------
Unacceptable shall be the word of the night.
Another home lead going into the third...another loss. Incredibly unacceptable.
Tonight the chances slipped through our fingers at times. The 4 minute powerplay after Havlat went stupid comes to mind. We made more errant passes than I've seen in a while. A lot of that was on us but SJ also happens to have very aggressive and skilled penalty killing forwards who forced the play and hurt us badly. Until Gagner shifted things a bit and got a good screened shot away we looked pretty sad.
San Jose wasn't particularly good at the other parts of the game. In fact, until they killed off Havlat's penalty they looked like a whiny old team who wasn't dealing with losing very well and wanted no part in the effort of correcting their current trajectory. We had them on the mat and then let them up rather than kicking them in the ribs.
I have to single out our coaching decisions again tonight. I don't enjoy it but these are now repeated mistakes and that is not right in a professional sport where everything is broken down over and over. People are paid a lot of money to get this stuff right. Having Mike Brown out there again late, playing with a modified fourth line of Smyth and Petrell (with the only youthful player in Hartikainen riding the pine for no damn reason AGAIN) late in the game, paired up with Whitney who was having a horrible game and Fistric who couldn't pull all that dead weight was a recipe for disaster. Many people knew it. Our coaches for whatever reason did not. That is the third straight game the Brown, and more importantly the coach's decision to play Brown, has played a significant negative part for the Oilers in the third period. Unacceptable.
Once again Yakupov and Hartikainen pay the price for unseen crimes and a goon and a slow old vet get the benefit. Once again it costs us. Unacceptable.
I also don't know why this team cannot possibly figure out 4-on-4. This isn't rocket surgery.
The refereeing was atrocious tonight. In the first period, when a couple iffy calls went our way I mentioned to LMHF#2 that we'd pay for this later if we didn't capitalize. Come the third period that came true. There were a ton of picks, holds and interference plays that went uncalled while SJ got an opportunity and capitalized. I don't ask for much from the zebras because of the BS internal politics that is rife in their profession and the speed at which the sport moves, but I do ask for consistency rather than this back and forth, score-based calls crap. It is an insult to the game. Unacceptable.
Those searching for positives can speak all they want about "points in five" and whatever other barfle they wish to spew. It's not going to matter at the end of the season. This team being "close" to the playoffs isn't going to matter either. Management and the coaching staff have put this squad in a place where it is constantly walking a tightrope with no net. Any mistakes, missing players or bad turns and they are sunk. There's no cushioning to fall back on. There's no excuse for that.
Niemi was terrible. We should have lit him up bad.
Worst three stars picks I've seen in forever. Should have been 1. Couture 2. Gagner Easily. 3. Another Shark, maybe Boyle. Not an Oilers player.
------------------
Player reviews will likely be a tad short tonight. I'm not happy. Feel free to add details you saw in the game.
Dubnyk
- No good tonight. The first goal he was completely lost on, regardless of how it eventually wound up in the net. Goal #2 was the same story with a little more help from a confused defence. He still should have covered the puck and not be sitting there doing nothing in his net. Goal #3 is from way too far out to beat him clean. The Couture SO goal I'll give him, but the Boyle goal was embarrassing. Getting faked out and laying there on the ice while a defenceman casually slides it into the open net is just brutal. It was like watching a power hitter who has never seen a curve ball before...except it was a 10-year-old's curve ball. I'm sure he'll bounce back, but he did the team no favours tonight. They still should have been able to win him a game for a change.
Whitney-Fistric
- Not the right pairing. The Oilers coaches seemed to be trying to match size with size and it worked briefly but fell apart. Whitney continued his points streak but that was the only positive. He was on the ice and guilty for two of the goals and in the penalty box when the other was scored. He went back to being bad in the corners and bad with the puck in his own zone tonight. Fistric was just okay trying to back him up. Disaster on the first goal though.
Smid-Petry
- Smid was okay and his usual physical self. I'm getting really tired of watching Petry stumble all over himself though. For a supposedly offensively gifted player, he had multiple chances tonight to either score or get a great shot on net and did nothing with those chances. Hemsky found him in the slot with all the time in the world and he couldn't do a damn thing.
J.Schultz-N.Schultz
- Don't like these two being put back together much at all. They were struggling when we last saw them together and weren't much better tonight. Justin made a great little play in OT to break up the rush but was lacklustre otherwise. He didn't hit anyone, got beat in the corners, missed even seeing a streaking Hemsky for a sure breakaway in the third period and was just generally sluggish. Nick wasn't really much better. He certainly made a good play to get the puck to the net for Horcoff to score his goal, but aside from that he was just too passive AGAIN tonight. How are these mistakes not being corrected? Since when did Nick Schultz not hit people to separate them from the puck?
Hartikainen-Petrell-Brown
- Teemu effectively didn't play so it would be wrong to say much about his game other than that he was okay while he was out there. Petrell had a rough night. He was way out of position on the second SJ goal and part of the myriad of mistakes that led to the third. He doesn't bring enough other things to the table to be making mistakes out there. Brown didn't fight anyone when some of the SJ goon squad were giving us problems. He didn't keep his hitting game up. He couldn't clear the puck out of our zone. Unacceptable and the third game in a row that he has had a pronounced negative impact on our ability to win. Again, more on the coaches than him. It is not his job to PK and to be playing important minutes in the third.
Jones-Smyth-Eberle
- This was a weird combination. Basically what it came down to was, get the puck to Eberle and hope something good happens. The other two either couldn't keep up, or in Jones' case were too busy cheating in the wrong direction (AGAIN). This very nearly led to a goal similar to the third goal on a couple occasions. Credit to Jones on his goal, he did the work, took the puck and beat a completely asleep Antti Niemi. Very good play but that was all he did. I do note that Gagner took that faceoff for some reason. I can't help but think the Jones we originally acquired would have dropped the gloves during that little skirmish he got himself involved in. I know he's got eye issues now or something, but the fact that he has basically dropped the physical part of his game and seems to think he can coast by on his offence and penalty killing is a pretty sad inditement of our depth (or coaching or management depending on your perspective). Smyth was pretty slow and weak along the boards. He got beaten for a lot of pucks in our end. He fared better in the offensive zone, but I still can't understand why there isn't always an Oilers forward standing at the side of the net opposite him when he goes for that slow wraparound. You know the puck gets there most of the time so why not be ready to bang it in? We could have had three of these tonight. Eberle was okay. He showed some good things but didn't really get a lot of time and space. One of his best plays was a sneaky little low shot that generated a rebound and should have got us a goal.
Paajarvi-Gagner-Yakupov
- Probably our best line in the offensive zone...which didn't stop our coach from messing with it yet again. Yakupov played a pretty solid game. In the first he came in with the puck on a 2-on-1 with Gagner. I'm still not too sure why he didn't just walk in and beat the goalie as he was given all kinds of time and space. He did make a good pass that Gagner could have finished but no reason to take the risk when you're as good as #64. Finish that play. Nice little pass to set up Gagner's PP goal later. No major mistakes and a fantastic hit in the third period. You could tell he was a little miffed and he took it out on the Sharks. Also had a second hit that shift. Beautiful. Paajarvi was pretty solid as well. I really liked the way he drove the net with the puck and got back to make some solid defensive plays. I do wish that he would stop burying his head on the rush though. Again tonight (as last game) he missed passing chances as he entered the zone because he was already winding for a shot. Gagner was our best player by a fair bit tonight. He scored his goal obviously, rang a great shot off the far bar in the third that Niemi is still looking for, beat players and carried speed into the offensive zone all night. He was the one guy who was taking the puck into trouble and coming away with it. Even made that bloody spin move delay pass in the second period that could easily have resulted in a goal. Great effort. Is it time to talk contract extension with #89?
Hall-Horcoff-Hemsky
- Something was very wrong with Taylor Hall tonight. I can't help but think he may also have been stricken with the flu. He was slow, really slow. He was getting knocked over at every turn. He couldn't beat anyone (with or without the puck) all night. I admire the guy's effort but if there's something that wrong with him he needs to sit or have a very limited role. You could see during the breaks that his face was sagging and there was no extra energy at all there. With Hall lagging, Horcoff and Hemsky were required to adjust. They've been playing a very fast and dynamic game lately that didn't change enough to accomodate their ailing teammate. One of the most common plays we see recently is Hemsky coming down the right wing with the puck, he'll cut in and pass as Hall breaks through the middle with speed. They also make this play just inside the zone at a slightly different angle. This play was mangled tonight because you could see when Hall when to apply the afterburner it just wasn't there. This is why you had so much chaos at the blue line and why the PP struggled. Hemsky was pretty good despite this, though his SO effort was not his best (either forehand wrist to top shelf or backhand roof ALWAYS). Horcoff did okay for himself on the draw but was largely missing in the offensive zone. His goal was obviously a solid read and drive and I applaud him for the timing.
---------------
It is going to be tough to win when Hopkins is out at the last minute and something is clearly wrong with Hall...BUT, we still should have come away with this one rather than snatching defeat from the claws of victory again. While the effort was far from perfect, I can't help but note that the effort was sabotaged yet again by ill-timed and illogical changes to the lineup/gameplan. Making these mistakes to lose, rather than simply being best or outworked, is unacceptable.
VS.
SAN JOSE 4
In a freaking shootout....
------------------------
Unacceptable shall be the word of the night.
Another home lead going into the third...another loss. Incredibly unacceptable.
Tonight the chances slipped through our fingers at times. The 4 minute powerplay after Havlat went stupid comes to mind. We made more errant passes than I've seen in a while. A lot of that was on us but SJ also happens to have very aggressive and skilled penalty killing forwards who forced the play and hurt us badly. Until Gagner shifted things a bit and got a good screened shot away we looked pretty sad.
San Jose wasn't particularly good at the other parts of the game. In fact, until they killed off Havlat's penalty they looked like a whiny old team who wasn't dealing with losing very well and wanted no part in the effort of correcting their current trajectory. We had them on the mat and then let them up rather than kicking them in the ribs.
I have to single out our coaching decisions again tonight. I don't enjoy it but these are now repeated mistakes and that is not right in a professional sport where everything is broken down over and over. People are paid a lot of money to get this stuff right. Having Mike Brown out there again late, playing with a modified fourth line of Smyth and Petrell (with the only youthful player in Hartikainen riding the pine for no damn reason AGAIN) late in the game, paired up with Whitney who was having a horrible game and Fistric who couldn't pull all that dead weight was a recipe for disaster. Many people knew it. Our coaches for whatever reason did not. That is the third straight game the Brown, and more importantly the coach's decision to play Brown, has played a significant negative part for the Oilers in the third period. Unacceptable.
Once again Yakupov and Hartikainen pay the price for unseen crimes and a goon and a slow old vet get the benefit. Once again it costs us. Unacceptable.
I also don't know why this team cannot possibly figure out 4-on-4. This isn't rocket surgery.
The refereeing was atrocious tonight. In the first period, when a couple iffy calls went our way I mentioned to LMHF#2 that we'd pay for this later if we didn't capitalize. Come the third period that came true. There were a ton of picks, holds and interference plays that went uncalled while SJ got an opportunity and capitalized. I don't ask for much from the zebras because of the BS internal politics that is rife in their profession and the speed at which the sport moves, but I do ask for consistency rather than this back and forth, score-based calls crap. It is an insult to the game. Unacceptable.
Those searching for positives can speak all they want about "points in five" and whatever other barfle they wish to spew. It's not going to matter at the end of the season. This team being "close" to the playoffs isn't going to matter either. Management and the coaching staff have put this squad in a place where it is constantly walking a tightrope with no net. Any mistakes, missing players or bad turns and they are sunk. There's no cushioning to fall back on. There's no excuse for that.
Niemi was terrible. We should have lit him up bad.
Worst three stars picks I've seen in forever. Should have been 1. Couture 2. Gagner Easily. 3. Another Shark, maybe Boyle. Not an Oilers player.
------------------
Player reviews will likely be a tad short tonight. I'm not happy. Feel free to add details you saw in the game.
Dubnyk
- No good tonight. The first goal he was completely lost on, regardless of how it eventually wound up in the net. Goal #2 was the same story with a little more help from a confused defence. He still should have covered the puck and not be sitting there doing nothing in his net. Goal #3 is from way too far out to beat him clean. The Couture SO goal I'll give him, but the Boyle goal was embarrassing. Getting faked out and laying there on the ice while a defenceman casually slides it into the open net is just brutal. It was like watching a power hitter who has never seen a curve ball before...except it was a 10-year-old's curve ball. I'm sure he'll bounce back, but he did the team no favours tonight. They still should have been able to win him a game for a change.
Whitney-Fistric
- Not the right pairing. The Oilers coaches seemed to be trying to match size with size and it worked briefly but fell apart. Whitney continued his points streak but that was the only positive. He was on the ice and guilty for two of the goals and in the penalty box when the other was scored. He went back to being bad in the corners and bad with the puck in his own zone tonight. Fistric was just okay trying to back him up. Disaster on the first goal though.
Smid-Petry
- Smid was okay and his usual physical self. I'm getting really tired of watching Petry stumble all over himself though. For a supposedly offensively gifted player, he had multiple chances tonight to either score or get a great shot on net and did nothing with those chances. Hemsky found him in the slot with all the time in the world and he couldn't do a damn thing.
J.Schultz-N.Schultz
- Don't like these two being put back together much at all. They were struggling when we last saw them together and weren't much better tonight. Justin made a great little play in OT to break up the rush but was lacklustre otherwise. He didn't hit anyone, got beat in the corners, missed even seeing a streaking Hemsky for a sure breakaway in the third period and was just generally sluggish. Nick wasn't really much better. He certainly made a good play to get the puck to the net for Horcoff to score his goal, but aside from that he was just too passive AGAIN tonight. How are these mistakes not being corrected? Since when did Nick Schultz not hit people to separate them from the puck?
Hartikainen-Petrell-Brown
- Teemu effectively didn't play so it would be wrong to say much about his game other than that he was okay while he was out there. Petrell had a rough night. He was way out of position on the second SJ goal and part of the myriad of mistakes that led to the third. He doesn't bring enough other things to the table to be making mistakes out there. Brown didn't fight anyone when some of the SJ goon squad were giving us problems. He didn't keep his hitting game up. He couldn't clear the puck out of our zone. Unacceptable and the third game in a row that he has had a pronounced negative impact on our ability to win. Again, more on the coaches than him. It is not his job to PK and to be playing important minutes in the third.
Jones-Smyth-Eberle
- This was a weird combination. Basically what it came down to was, get the puck to Eberle and hope something good happens. The other two either couldn't keep up, or in Jones' case were too busy cheating in the wrong direction (AGAIN). This very nearly led to a goal similar to the third goal on a couple occasions. Credit to Jones on his goal, he did the work, took the puck and beat a completely asleep Antti Niemi. Very good play but that was all he did. I do note that Gagner took that faceoff for some reason. I can't help but think the Jones we originally acquired would have dropped the gloves during that little skirmish he got himself involved in. I know he's got eye issues now or something, but the fact that he has basically dropped the physical part of his game and seems to think he can coast by on his offence and penalty killing is a pretty sad inditement of our depth (or coaching or management depending on your perspective). Smyth was pretty slow and weak along the boards. He got beaten for a lot of pucks in our end. He fared better in the offensive zone, but I still can't understand why there isn't always an Oilers forward standing at the side of the net opposite him when he goes for that slow wraparound. You know the puck gets there most of the time so why not be ready to bang it in? We could have had three of these tonight. Eberle was okay. He showed some good things but didn't really get a lot of time and space. One of his best plays was a sneaky little low shot that generated a rebound and should have got us a goal.
Paajarvi-Gagner-Yakupov
- Probably our best line in the offensive zone...which didn't stop our coach from messing with it yet again. Yakupov played a pretty solid game. In the first he came in with the puck on a 2-on-1 with Gagner. I'm still not too sure why he didn't just walk in and beat the goalie as he was given all kinds of time and space. He did make a good pass that Gagner could have finished but no reason to take the risk when you're as good as #64. Finish that play. Nice little pass to set up Gagner's PP goal later. No major mistakes and a fantastic hit in the third period. You could tell he was a little miffed and he took it out on the Sharks. Also had a second hit that shift. Beautiful. Paajarvi was pretty solid as well. I really liked the way he drove the net with the puck and got back to make some solid defensive plays. I do wish that he would stop burying his head on the rush though. Again tonight (as last game) he missed passing chances as he entered the zone because he was already winding for a shot. Gagner was our best player by a fair bit tonight. He scored his goal obviously, rang a great shot off the far bar in the third that Niemi is still looking for, beat players and carried speed into the offensive zone all night. He was the one guy who was taking the puck into trouble and coming away with it. Even made that bloody spin move delay pass in the second period that could easily have resulted in a goal. Great effort. Is it time to talk contract extension with #89?
Hall-Horcoff-Hemsky
- Something was very wrong with Taylor Hall tonight. I can't help but think he may also have been stricken with the flu. He was slow, really slow. He was getting knocked over at every turn. He couldn't beat anyone (with or without the puck) all night. I admire the guy's effort but if there's something that wrong with him he needs to sit or have a very limited role. You could see during the breaks that his face was sagging and there was no extra energy at all there. With Hall lagging, Horcoff and Hemsky were required to adjust. They've been playing a very fast and dynamic game lately that didn't change enough to accomodate their ailing teammate. One of the most common plays we see recently is Hemsky coming down the right wing with the puck, he'll cut in and pass as Hall breaks through the middle with speed. They also make this play just inside the zone at a slightly different angle. This play was mangled tonight because you could see when Hall when to apply the afterburner it just wasn't there. This is why you had so much chaos at the blue line and why the PP struggled. Hemsky was pretty good despite this, though his SO effort was not his best (either forehand wrist to top shelf or backhand roof ALWAYS). Horcoff did okay for himself on the draw but was largely missing in the offensive zone. His goal was obviously a solid read and drive and I applaud him for the timing.
---------------
It is going to be tough to win when Hopkins is out at the last minute and something is clearly wrong with Hall...BUT, we still should have come away with this one rather than snatching defeat from the claws of victory again. While the effort was far from perfect, I can't help but note that the effort was sabotaged yet again by ill-timed and illogical changes to the lineup/gameplan. Making these mistakes to lose, rather than simply being best or outworked, is unacceptable.
3/17/13
2013 LMHF Game Report #12
EDMONTON 3
VS.
NASHVILLE 2
--------------------
To be honest, we were better against Detroit. I am certainly a results man as any of you who have read for a significant period know, so I'm much happier with a number of things tonight. Nashville certainly isn't as good of a team as Detroit though and that's a big part of why we got the win. The two points are what matters in the end and we did some nice things in terms of execution during tonight's game.
The first ten minutes were an absolute no effort, no organization snooze fest. It really felt like an early game for everyone in the building. The Oilers were sluggish, behind the play and couldn't complete a pass to save their lives. The Predators had no jump whatever and were sloppy. The fans were silent. It was about the farthest thing from riveting.
The good news was that after that we picked up the play significantly. Our lines started producing some chances and we just sort of plodded along from there. Nothing electrifying but certainly the prospect of a victory.
It is no mystery that Nashville is about as exciting as drying paint. They play a system honed to allow a mediocre team with a solid goalie and a franchise defenceman to compete. There's nothing fundamentally wrong with this, but it doesn't so much lead to entertainment. The scoring was exactly the same in the last two games but this was much less interesting.
Krueger did okay for himself tonight against another pretty strong coach. For most of the game things were kept organized. I still hate that Mike Brown was asked to PK and that he and Jones were out there for a disastrous sequence that resulted in Shea Weber's goal. I also hate that he chopped the bench at the end of the game and sat Yakupov again. That didn't help us win - it made us more vulnerable. It also sends the wrong message to a top rookie who was having a solid period.
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Dubnyk
- Quite good through most of the game and especially the sequence late in the third where things got scrambly in front of him and he made several very nice saves. I would like to point out though that on both the goals he allowed he got caught reaching out an arm rather than moving his body to stop the puck. This is a bad habit that he displays fairly regularly and results in a lot of the "one bad goal" commentary on #40 (along with going down WAY too soon). You'd hope the goalie coach would catch this and be working on it, but who knows with the guy who was 4th string behind Red Light Racicot and JC Bergeron as the man with the plan.
Smid-Petry
- Smid was a mean presence in the corners and net once again. After more than one whistle he drove guys out of the crease and was warned by the refs (but never penalized which is the key of course). Just like last game he skated the puck out of trouble on numerous occasions. He even had a nice little foray into the offensive zone but forgot the key to any Ladislav Smid rush - move the puck before the faceoff dot. He always loses the puck once he's beyond the faceoff dot. I was very meh on Petry's game tonight. A couple nice carries but generally was running around in the defensive zone and requiring Smid to cover for him again. It didn't lead to the type of chances that occurred last game but it wasn't pretty either. Needs to work on his positioning and using his skating effectively from that positioning rather than leaning on it as a crutch.
N.Schultz-Fistric
- Why can't Schultz play odd man situations properly? You'd think an NHL veteran of this long would know what to do by now. He's had a number this year, but the 3-on-1 that he encountered tonight was just awful. He did absolutely nothing to prevent the scoring chance. You have to either attack aggressive and early or take away the highest percentage pass. Two on ones he doesn't seem to come out very well either. Just don't get it. Aside from that play he was pretty average. Good to see Fistric back in as an upgrade on Peckham or Potter. He threw his weight around a bit and was generally very good on the PK. Had a little bit of trouble with the puck, especially in the neutral and offensive zones but it happens. Hopefully he improves next game.
Whitney-J.Schultz
- I think this is the first game where I'm going to say Schultz was really off. That's quite an accomplishment for a rookie but we're not going to take it easy on him. The delay of game penalty was a loss in focus combined with likely trying to miss the referee which is no good. He made a couple horrible pinches including one in the third that could really have been decisive. No really strong offensive chances and both his positioning and passing left something to be desired. I'm sure he'll bounce back fine. Whitney mostly had a solid game. He wouldn't go into corners and punish people even when he had them lined up which frustrates the hell out of me, but he did play very well in the offensive zone and put some strong pucks toward the net including one that resulted in Paajarvi's goal. Good to have that reliable presence back and will likely increase his trade value as we approach the deadline.
One thing to the defence as a unit - take some shot blocking lessons from Smid. This sideways-one-knee crap is going to get you hurt.
Smyth-Petrell-Brown
- This line annoyed me on a number of fronts tonight. For one, if you watch they will always overskate their checks on the forecheck. A line that isn't going gangbusters for goals and succeeding cannot attempt this sort of play. It leads to what happened tonight, which was a bunch of slower than average skaters chasing the other team back down the ice. That doesn't help anyone. Brown was not particularly physical other than a couple of sequences where he tried to hold the puck in the corner. His PK effort was terrible, but then again he has no business being there. Smyth was slow and useless most of the night. He gave the puck away a ton of times including a real stinker in his own end. I will credit him for faking that stupid slap shot and passing to Eberle for a great scoring chance though. Petrell was the best of this group. He was moderately physical and of course made no mistake on his SH scoring chance. Lennart has a really nice shot but unfortunately is not talented enough to set it up very often. When he gets a chance like that he'll convert more often than not. PK'ed well.
Jones-Hopkins-Eberle
- Ryan Jones made a good play in the first period to win a battle with a Nashville defender and send Jordan Eberle in alone. I state this off the top because that was pretty much all he did. He was all over the place, overskating his man on the penalty kill and it could have cost us more than the one goal that it did. He has no business playing like that. He also left the offensive zone early on nearly every breakout and slowed the play down if he got the puck. You cannot be doing that on a line with Eberle and Hopkins. In the offensive zone, he kept backing away to the point where one of the defencemen would then have to pinch in reply (rather than a forward covering for a previously pinched defenceman). This completely screws up the offensive flow for his other forwards and made Hopkins and Eberle have to go into the corners far more often than you'd like to see. Thankfully, Eberle brought one of his best games in a while and evened out most of that performance. It is true that he missed two chances that should have been goals. The turnover Jones created left Eberle to walk in completely alone. I submit to you that last year and the previous year, Eberle makes one move and fires it by Rinne. Tonight he tried to outweight a giant goalie with a bunch of deke moves. He actually had the five hole briefly but waited past that too. Strange. I also submit he would've buried Smyth's pass last year. Got caught second guessing himself on that one. The thing was, he was moving and bouncing around, hitting, deking and making plays tonight. He'd gotten back to the game he plays well. This led to a great quick little pass to a WIDE open Paajarvi for a PP goal, then even more importantly, he took the puck from Taylor Hall (in past games he would have backed off), walked in and decisively fired one past the goalie. THAT was an Eberle play. Very well done. Hopkins was just average. I don't say this to criticize it is just that I did not see what I look for from a good Hopkins game: some excellent passing through small gaps, a nifty shot or two and big defensive break ups. He didn't really do any of that but also didn't make mistakes and moved the puck forward. Not bad, just not great.
Yakupov-Gagner-Paajarvi
-I liked what these guys did again tonight. They struggled on a couple of shifts in their own end but I suppose that is to be expected as they're not the greatest defensive unit. Magnus made some really nice backchecking plays during the game though and Gagner moved the puck out better than he usually does. Gagner also had a really nice night on the penalty kill, including the play to set up the second Oilers goal. First he outworked Kostitsyn and probably should generated a delayed penalty, then after Kostitsyn completely bailed on the play (I figure he thought that a defender could jump from one end of the bench and do better than an offensive forward could. Horrible judgement but I think there was actually thought at work there) he had Weber dead and took his sweet time to make a play. It is a really neat thing to watch the thought process of a gifted offensive player when he has time like that. It looked like Sam actually wanted to get Rinne to cheat towards to the pass and then let go that half-slapper thing he loves so much. I'm sure he would've scored too. Instead Rinne forced the pass and good ol Lenny made no mistake. Great little pass it was too. #89 made some other nice things happen too and I enjoyed that. Yakupov was a little quiet but got two very nice shots in on Rinne that required toe saves. He just needed to be a little closer to the net. His positioning was better but he oddly seemed to get caught a little flat footed at times. No real mistakes in terms of giveaways or anything. Magnus had another solid game both positionally and effort wise. He's settling in (in a good way).
Hall-Horcoff-Hemsky
- Relatively quiet night for this crew but they still looked quiet good for me. The best scoring chances for Hall and Hemsky actually came on a shift where Gagner jumped in as C. They also had another phenomenal shift where Horcoff just wasn't sure what to do in the offensive end as #s 83 and 4 dummied the opposition. Not a lot to add to that really. They did their job mostly and while they didn't put up a goal as a unit, they certainly had a part in winning this game. Credit to Horcoff for his PKing.
----------
A win is a win is win. We'll take it.
I would however like you to imagine what this forward roster could do for a moment:
Hall-(Better version of Horcoff-Hemsky
Yakupov-Gagner-Paajarvi
(Big scoring winger)-Hopkins-Eberle
Hartikainen-(Better Petrell)-(Younger, Faster version of old man Smyth)
That's what we need to shoot for if we want to make the dance. I'm not optimistic of the top line happening this year, but the rest could if there was any desire at all to make it happen.
VS.
NASHVILLE 2
--------------------
To be honest, we were better against Detroit. I am certainly a results man as any of you who have read for a significant period know, so I'm much happier with a number of things tonight. Nashville certainly isn't as good of a team as Detroit though and that's a big part of why we got the win. The two points are what matters in the end and we did some nice things in terms of execution during tonight's game.
The first ten minutes were an absolute no effort, no organization snooze fest. It really felt like an early game for everyone in the building. The Oilers were sluggish, behind the play and couldn't complete a pass to save their lives. The Predators had no jump whatever and were sloppy. The fans were silent. It was about the farthest thing from riveting.
The good news was that after that we picked up the play significantly. Our lines started producing some chances and we just sort of plodded along from there. Nothing electrifying but certainly the prospect of a victory.
It is no mystery that Nashville is about as exciting as drying paint. They play a system honed to allow a mediocre team with a solid goalie and a franchise defenceman to compete. There's nothing fundamentally wrong with this, but it doesn't so much lead to entertainment. The scoring was exactly the same in the last two games but this was much less interesting.
Krueger did okay for himself tonight against another pretty strong coach. For most of the game things were kept organized. I still hate that Mike Brown was asked to PK and that he and Jones were out there for a disastrous sequence that resulted in Shea Weber's goal. I also hate that he chopped the bench at the end of the game and sat Yakupov again. That didn't help us win - it made us more vulnerable. It also sends the wrong message to a top rookie who was having a solid period.
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Dubnyk
- Quite good through most of the game and especially the sequence late in the third where things got scrambly in front of him and he made several very nice saves. I would like to point out though that on both the goals he allowed he got caught reaching out an arm rather than moving his body to stop the puck. This is a bad habit that he displays fairly regularly and results in a lot of the "one bad goal" commentary on #40 (along with going down WAY too soon). You'd hope the goalie coach would catch this and be working on it, but who knows with the guy who was 4th string behind Red Light Racicot and JC Bergeron as the man with the plan.
Smid-Petry
- Smid was a mean presence in the corners and net once again. After more than one whistle he drove guys out of the crease and was warned by the refs (but never penalized which is the key of course). Just like last game he skated the puck out of trouble on numerous occasions. He even had a nice little foray into the offensive zone but forgot the key to any Ladislav Smid rush - move the puck before the faceoff dot. He always loses the puck once he's beyond the faceoff dot. I was very meh on Petry's game tonight. A couple nice carries but generally was running around in the defensive zone and requiring Smid to cover for him again. It didn't lead to the type of chances that occurred last game but it wasn't pretty either. Needs to work on his positioning and using his skating effectively from that positioning rather than leaning on it as a crutch.
N.Schultz-Fistric
- Why can't Schultz play odd man situations properly? You'd think an NHL veteran of this long would know what to do by now. He's had a number this year, but the 3-on-1 that he encountered tonight was just awful. He did absolutely nothing to prevent the scoring chance. You have to either attack aggressive and early or take away the highest percentage pass. Two on ones he doesn't seem to come out very well either. Just don't get it. Aside from that play he was pretty average. Good to see Fistric back in as an upgrade on Peckham or Potter. He threw his weight around a bit and was generally very good on the PK. Had a little bit of trouble with the puck, especially in the neutral and offensive zones but it happens. Hopefully he improves next game.
Whitney-J.Schultz
- I think this is the first game where I'm going to say Schultz was really off. That's quite an accomplishment for a rookie but we're not going to take it easy on him. The delay of game penalty was a loss in focus combined with likely trying to miss the referee which is no good. He made a couple horrible pinches including one in the third that could really have been decisive. No really strong offensive chances and both his positioning and passing left something to be desired. I'm sure he'll bounce back fine. Whitney mostly had a solid game. He wouldn't go into corners and punish people even when he had them lined up which frustrates the hell out of me, but he did play very well in the offensive zone and put some strong pucks toward the net including one that resulted in Paajarvi's goal. Good to have that reliable presence back and will likely increase his trade value as we approach the deadline.
One thing to the defence as a unit - take some shot blocking lessons from Smid. This sideways-one-knee crap is going to get you hurt.
Smyth-Petrell-Brown
- This line annoyed me on a number of fronts tonight. For one, if you watch they will always overskate their checks on the forecheck. A line that isn't going gangbusters for goals and succeeding cannot attempt this sort of play. It leads to what happened tonight, which was a bunch of slower than average skaters chasing the other team back down the ice. That doesn't help anyone. Brown was not particularly physical other than a couple of sequences where he tried to hold the puck in the corner. His PK effort was terrible, but then again he has no business being there. Smyth was slow and useless most of the night. He gave the puck away a ton of times including a real stinker in his own end. I will credit him for faking that stupid slap shot and passing to Eberle for a great scoring chance though. Petrell was the best of this group. He was moderately physical and of course made no mistake on his SH scoring chance. Lennart has a really nice shot but unfortunately is not talented enough to set it up very often. When he gets a chance like that he'll convert more often than not. PK'ed well.
Jones-Hopkins-Eberle
- Ryan Jones made a good play in the first period to win a battle with a Nashville defender and send Jordan Eberle in alone. I state this off the top because that was pretty much all he did. He was all over the place, overskating his man on the penalty kill and it could have cost us more than the one goal that it did. He has no business playing like that. He also left the offensive zone early on nearly every breakout and slowed the play down if he got the puck. You cannot be doing that on a line with Eberle and Hopkins. In the offensive zone, he kept backing away to the point where one of the defencemen would then have to pinch in reply (rather than a forward covering for a previously pinched defenceman). This completely screws up the offensive flow for his other forwards and made Hopkins and Eberle have to go into the corners far more often than you'd like to see. Thankfully, Eberle brought one of his best games in a while and evened out most of that performance. It is true that he missed two chances that should have been goals. The turnover Jones created left Eberle to walk in completely alone. I submit to you that last year and the previous year, Eberle makes one move and fires it by Rinne. Tonight he tried to outweight a giant goalie with a bunch of deke moves. He actually had the five hole briefly but waited past that too. Strange. I also submit he would've buried Smyth's pass last year. Got caught second guessing himself on that one. The thing was, he was moving and bouncing around, hitting, deking and making plays tonight. He'd gotten back to the game he plays well. This led to a great quick little pass to a WIDE open Paajarvi for a PP goal, then even more importantly, he took the puck from Taylor Hall (in past games he would have backed off), walked in and decisively fired one past the goalie. THAT was an Eberle play. Very well done. Hopkins was just average. I don't say this to criticize it is just that I did not see what I look for from a good Hopkins game: some excellent passing through small gaps, a nifty shot or two and big defensive break ups. He didn't really do any of that but also didn't make mistakes and moved the puck forward. Not bad, just not great.
Yakupov-Gagner-Paajarvi
-I liked what these guys did again tonight. They struggled on a couple of shifts in their own end but I suppose that is to be expected as they're not the greatest defensive unit. Magnus made some really nice backchecking plays during the game though and Gagner moved the puck out better than he usually does. Gagner also had a really nice night on the penalty kill, including the play to set up the second Oilers goal. First he outworked Kostitsyn and probably should generated a delayed penalty, then after Kostitsyn completely bailed on the play (I figure he thought that a defender could jump from one end of the bench and do better than an offensive forward could. Horrible judgement but I think there was actually thought at work there) he had Weber dead and took his sweet time to make a play. It is a really neat thing to watch the thought process of a gifted offensive player when he has time like that. It looked like Sam actually wanted to get Rinne to cheat towards to the pass and then let go that half-slapper thing he loves so much. I'm sure he would've scored too. Instead Rinne forced the pass and good ol Lenny made no mistake. Great little pass it was too. #89 made some other nice things happen too and I enjoyed that. Yakupov was a little quiet but got two very nice shots in on Rinne that required toe saves. He just needed to be a little closer to the net. His positioning was better but he oddly seemed to get caught a little flat footed at times. No real mistakes in terms of giveaways or anything. Magnus had another solid game both positionally and effort wise. He's settling in (in a good way).
Hall-Horcoff-Hemsky
- Relatively quiet night for this crew but they still looked quiet good for me. The best scoring chances for Hall and Hemsky actually came on a shift where Gagner jumped in as C. They also had another phenomenal shift where Horcoff just wasn't sure what to do in the offensive end as #s 83 and 4 dummied the opposition. Not a lot to add to that really. They did their job mostly and while they didn't put up a goal as a unit, they certainly had a part in winning this game. Credit to Horcoff for his PKing.
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A win is a win is win. We'll take it.
I would however like you to imagine what this forward roster could do for a moment:
Hall-(Better version of Horcoff-Hemsky
Yakupov-Gagner-Paajarvi
(Big scoring winger)-Hopkins-Eberle
Hartikainen-(Better Petrell)-(Younger, Faster version of old man Smyth)
That's what we need to shoot for if we want to make the dance. I'm not optimistic of the top line happening this year, but the rest could if there was any desire at all to make it happen.
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