Oilers

[jjgallow]

4 hours ago, conundrumed said:

Nice to see them focusing on D.

 

Beat me again.

 

It's just...amazing really, to watch the coaching staff really get in there and enforce ignoring 2/3 of the ice after a big loss.  That's exactly what you need to do.

[sak22]

 

 

[travel_dude]

^^^^

I sorta have two minds about Leon's responses.

 

1) On one hand, the question was answered by a guy clearly frustrated with the team, and giving him a hard time about his answer isn't going to work well.  Calling him pissy isn't really appropriate.

 

2) On the other hand, the player acts like an entitled baby.  He's supposed to be out there representing the team.  If this was the only incident that he ever showed that, then I would chock it up to how some players get annoyed with know-it-all analysts.  But Leon also got very childish about Tkachuk's inclusion in the All Star game.  Clearly, he feels he is on a completely different level that others and that a player that he feels takes cheap shots doesn't belong in the NHL. 

 

The funny thing about this is that Matheson is easily a Oilers fan as well as a reporter/writer.  Not really sitting well in the Oilsphere.  Spector called out Leon as a result.  I'm not really a Spector fan, but he does post a lot of factual stuff and sometimes his opinions are spot on.   

[The_People1]

18 hours ago, sak22 said:

 

 

 

Lol it's these little things that drive superstar players out of Edmonton

[travel_dude]

37 minutes ago, The_People1 said:

 

Lol it's these little things that drive superstar players out of Edmonton

 

As much as the reporter was baiting him, don't be such a douche.  The EDM media carry the Oilers water most of the year and point to other problems than the sacred dynamic duo being at fault.  The question was fair, but calling him out for not answering it sounded dumb.  

 

My opinion is that Leon is only interested in cookies.  Personal awards.  When he gets shut down, he gets pouty.  When he misses a goal, he half-Hash Rate the game afterwards.  He wants the media to ask him about his MVP abilities, leading in scoring or leading the Great 8.  Not a good look from a team leader.  

 

Unfortunately, Tippet rewards top players with more ice even when they half-Hash Rate plays in a game.  They want to win and lean on the top players.  Sutter or Torts would have benched Leon after his lazy play against Ottawa in the 3rd.

 

 

[cross16]

I thought the original question was fair and probably deserved a better response but to follow up it up the way Matheson did was highly unprofessional. As soon as he said "care to expand on that" it was over and Matheson should know better than that. He backed Draisaitl into a corner with that one and then went out of his way to try and make him look bad. The fact that Matheson is in the hall of fame is quite a joke IMO. 

 

While I shouldn't pretend to know all the media across the league it sure does seem like Edmonton has one of the worst collections in the league. Sure don't seem to treat the players very well up there. 

[The_People1]

1 hour ago, cross16 said:

I thought the original question was fair and probably deserved a better response but to follow up it up the way Matheson did was highly unprofessional. As soon as he said "care to expand on that" it was over and Matheson should know better than that. He backed Draisaitl into a corner with that one and then went out of his way to try and make him look bad. The fact that Matheson is in the hall of fame is quite a joke IMO. 

 

While I shouldn't pretend to know all the media across the league it sure does seem like Edmonton has one of the worst collections in the league. Sure don't seem to treat the players very well up there. 

 

100%. 

 

I thought Draisaitl answering "everything" is fair and on point.  Really, everything is important and wrong with the team right now, not just one important thing.  I would've personally answered, "if we knew then we would have fixed it by now"...  Matheson wanted to corner Draisaitl to commit to one reason for losing.

 

"Why are you so pissy?"  Is probably the most unprofessional question I've ever heard a reporter ask a player in a post game interview.  Matheson was looking for an argument on the spot or something.

 

If I was the Oilers then I would request Sportsnet or whoever to assign a new reporter to cover the Oilers.  Matheson should be banned from media scrums from here on in.

[cross16]

2 minutes ago, The_People1 said:

 

100%. 

 

I thought Draisaitl answering "everything" is fair and on point.  Really, everything is important and wrong with the team right now, not just one important thing.  I would've personally answered, "if we knew then we would have fixed it by now"...  Matheson wanted to corner Draisaitl to commit to one reason for losing.

 

"Why are you so pissy?"  Is probably the most unprofessional question I've ever heard a reporter ask a player in a post game interview.  Matheson was looking for an argument on the spot or something.

 

If I was the Oilers then I would request Sportsnet or whoever to assign a new reporter to cover the Oilers.  Matheson should be banned from media scrums from here on in.

 

Agreed. All you have to do is run Jim Matheson in a twitter search to figure out what type of character you are dealing with. 

 

As I've said, the fact he's in the hall of fame is embarrassing for the league and the sport. 

[sak22]

Clip from URL - Streamable

Another example of JM getting a snarky response for a dumb question.

 

I thought the questioning was dumb, but can't give Leon a pass for that either, the "you know everything was childish".  The guy 2 months ago was all jokes in his press conferences when the tough questions were "how hard is Connor's one-timer?".  One thing I give Calgary the edge for media relations is Darryl Sutter is very good at managing the temperature.  When things get high he'll point out negatives.  If there are positives in a losing streak he will point them out.  At 16-5, I don't think Tippett managed expectations from their media, reality was there wasn't going to be an 80 goal season or 200 point guy, or a 50% PP, and at 2-10-2 or whatever they are at since he has not been able to cool of the media, instead has planted all the attention towards one position.  JM was trying to get Leon to identify goaltending as the issue, but JM being in the business as long as he has should know the response he was going to get to that line of questioning.

[jjgallow]

Classic, the entire city is just bearing down on the only offensive talent they have to solve a defence issue.

 

I would normally be disjointed with the comments made by the player but at this stage it is an absolute mystery to me how McDavid and Draisaitl are still there and haven't walked out yet. 

[travel_dude]

2 hours ago, sak22 said:

Clip from URL - Streamable

Another example of JM getting a snarky response for a dumb question.

 

I thought the questioning was dumb, but can't give Leon a pass for that either, the "you know everything was childish".  The guy 2 months ago was all jokes in his press conferences when the tough questions were "how hard is Connor's one-timer?".  One thing I give Calgary the edge for media relations is Darryl Sutter is very good at managing the temperature.  When things get high he'll point out negatives.  If there are positives in a losing streak he will point them out.  At 16-5, I don't think Tippett managed expectations from their media, reality was there wasn't going to be an 80 goal season or 200 point guy, or a 50% PP, and at 2-10-2 or whatever they are at since he has not been able to cool of the media, instead has planted all the attention towards one position.  JM was trying to get Leon to identify goaltending as the issue, but JM being in the business as long as he has should know the response he was going to get to that line of questioning.

 

If you watched Darryl's presser last night, he told Pike to go watch the game.

I nearly spit out my coffee.

It wasn't a douchy question, but it was the type of question that is dumb to ask a coach.

 

Anyway, it really is a sideshow how a presser turns into national comment.  TSN ran three segments on it last night.  How dumb.  As you suggest, they are given softballs when the season is good and tough questions when it's falling apart.  The team was never as good as they were being portrayed.  And the team should never have believed they were that good.  Sutter would have called out this team for their play, not leaving the players to joke about stuff.  I don't think Tippet was taken seriously, when they were winning.  Hey, I'm at the top of the league in scoring and points, what is your problem.

[travel_dude]

Dang, was sorta hoping the Oilers would get the win so they could start another losing streak Saturday.  Instead, we get the ultra-desperate Oilers team willing to do anything to get a W.  We have some guys that will fight anyone from the Oilers, but should we have to break a nail against that bunch of p*ssies?  You know Nurse will try to get away with some dirty hits away from the eyes of the refs.  

 

I'm worried about the Flames players breaking an ankle....on a discarded Oilers jersey.

Or a fighter getting a tooth stuck in their knuckle from punching Kassian.

 

 

[jjgallow]

23 minutes ago, travel_dude said:

Dang, was sorta hoping the Oilers would get the win so they could start another losing streak Saturday.  Instead, we get the ultra-desperate Oilers team willing to do anything to get a W.  We have some guys that will fight anyone from the Oilers, but should we have to break a nail against that bunch of p*ssies?  You know Nurse will try to get away with some dirty hits away from the eyes of the refs.  

 

I'm worried about the Flames players breaking an ankle....on a discarded Oilers jersey.

Or a fighter getting a tooth stuck in their knuckle from punching Kassian.

 

 

 

 

I'm just wondering if McDavid will have to wait until the end of the season to start addressing the trade rumors, or if he can just get started on that before the trade deadline.

https://info.hockeyfeed.com/nhl-news/mcdavid-delivers-clear-message-to-management-and-fans-amidst-trade-demand-rumours

 

I am still amazed he hasn't driven down here and claimed refugee status on the Flames.

[The_People1]

We're basically halfway through the season and the Oilers are sitting in 7th in the division.  Can't believe it to be honest.  McDavid is 25-years-old like in prime of the prime.  I had picked them to be one of the best teams in the division this season.  How do they mess up so bad?

[travel_dude]

44 minutes ago, The_People1 said:

We're basically halfway through the season and the Oilers are sitting in 7th in the division.  Can't believe it to be honest.  McDavid is 25-years-old like in prime of the prime.  I had picked them to be one of the best teams in the division this season.  How do they mess up so bad?

 

5v5 scoring mostly non-existent.

I know it's a flawed stat, but....

McD +4

Drai +3

Hyman -9

 

Gaudreau +20

Lindholm +23

Tkachuk +17

 

When you have two guys with a combined 45 goals, how are they not +10 each?

[jjgallow]

10 hours ago, The_People1 said:

We're basically halfway through the season and the Oilers are sitting in 7th in the division.  Can't believe it to be honest.  McDavid is 25-years-old like in prime of the prime.  I had picked them to be one of the best teams in the division this season.  How do they mess up so bad?

 

9 hours ago, travel_dude said:

 

5v5 scoring mostly non-existent.

I know it's a flawed stat, but....

McD +4

Drai +3

Hyman -9

 

Gaudreau +20

Lindholm +23

Tkachuk +17

 

When you have two guys with a combined 45 goals, how are they not +10 each?

 

I am also shocked, and it's because I thought they would at least be regular season fakers.

 

I thought they'd just nail the regular season and start doing reality TV shows again, and then just get brutally pummelled in the playoffs.     Because when I look at @travel_dude's points, plus the lack of goalies and D, I see a regular season wonder and a playoff flop.

 

But if this keeps up we ain't ever going to see how bad they are in the playoffs.  Maybe that's the plan.

[cross16]

10 hours ago, The_People1 said:

We're basically halfway through the season and the Oilers are sitting in 7th in the division.  Can't believe it to be honest.  McDavid is 25-years-old like in prime of the prime.  I had picked them to be one of the best teams in the division this season.  How do they mess up so bad?

 

They hired Ken Holland for starters. 

 

I won't admit that I saw this coming, and I will say I think this is a big slump that they likely will pull out of to some degree. I had the Oilers as the 2nd best team in the division, just above the Flames, and probably a mid 90s point team (I don't think the Pacific is very good). So I am surprised, but not shocked

 

The Oilers had one of the worst off seasons I can remember because they did nothing to address what are obvious flaws. The Oilers cannot defend very well, have bad goaltending, and when McDavid/Draisatl are not on the ice they are really bad 5 on 5. The only reason the Oilers have had success in the past 2 years are when their PP clicks at an unsustainable rate and their goalies get hot.  it's not a receipe to win over the course of a season. 

 

Holland had a chance to rectify that and completely blew it. For the first time in many seasons the Oilers had cap space and had a chance to probably make some meaningful changes to his team. Instead he blows 16 millions dollars on Keith, Barrie, Ceci and Mike Smith. That is a significant amount of money to put into 4 players who do nothing to fix the problems your team has.  On top of that the only trade he made was to bring in Foeggle for Bear. So not only did he bring in the wrong players via FA he then doubled down by sending out the type of player he needs right now. Now I will grant him this, Foeggle is a good player who just seems to be struggling but it still comes back to the fact that Holland is building this team the wrong way. 

[travel_dude]

9 minutes ago, cross16 said:

Holland had a chance to rectify that and completely blew it. For the first time in many seasons the Oilers had cap space and had a chance to probably make some meaningful changes to his team. Instead he blows 16 millions dollars on Keith, Barrie, Ceci and Mike Smith. That is a significant amount of money to put into 4 players who do nothing to fix the problems your team has.  On top of that the only trade he made was to bring in Foeggle for Bear. So not only did he bring in the wrong players via FA he then doubled down by sending out the type of player he needs right now. Now I will grant him this, Foeggle is a good player who just seems to be struggling but it still comes back to the fact that Holland is building this team the wrong way. 

 Foegele is pretty much on par over 82 games as to where he has been the last 3 seasons; 30 point pace.  That's more like struggling to improve.  Perhaps that is all he will ever be.  He's -11, which is likely a product of playing on a team that doesn't score much 5v5.

 

Signing Keith, Barrie and Ceci, while losing two defensive D like Bear and Larsson, seems like a real backwards move.  I don't llove Larsson, but he was a thorn in our sides when he played well.  Bear was just developing into a decent RD.  Barrie is and was a tire fire defensively, so I don't get the need.

 

Add to this waste of cap, they actually overused cap because they knew that Klefbom would not play.  Nuge re-signed to full term.  Nurse given top D pay next season.  Not only have they screwed up the cap this year, but they presently can't re-sign Puljujarvi to anything other than another bridge deal or replace a UFA Koskinen.

 

What's concerning now is that Hyman and Puljujarvi have gone silent.

Zack silent in the last 11 games.

Ouljujarvi silent for the last 6.

Nuge (when he was playing) has 3 goals in 30 games.

[jjgallow]

 

1980's BOA:

 

 

 

2020's BOA:

 

[Heartbreaker]

All that being said, I don't have a great feeling about Saturday's game. There's a lot of pressure on Edmonton to win, and a Saturday night HNIC home game is great motivation. On top of that, the Flames do have a tendency to be a slump-buster... remember when Matt Murray hadn't won a game in over a year? Or all the times that so-and-so hadn't scored a goal in over five seasons? Sea McDee has put up a whole lotta points against the Flames. He just might demonstrate how hard that one-timer is.

I know that they're in bad shape, but I wouldn't write them off for our game this week. Hopefully I'm wrong this time.

Love.

[travel_dude]

8 hours ago, Heartbreaker said:

All that being said, I don't have a great feeling about Saturday's game. There's a lot of pressure on Edmonton to win, and a Saturday night HNIC home game is great motivation. On top of that, the Flames do have a tendency to be a slump-buster... remember when Matt Murray hadn't won a game in over a year? Or all the times that so-and-so hadn't scored a goal in over five seasons? Sea McDee has put up a whole lotta points against the Flames. He just might demonstrate how hard that one-timer is.

I know that they're in bad shape, but I wouldn't write them off for our game this week. Hopefully I'm wrong this time.

Love.

 

I said elsewhere that I was hoping for the Oilers to beat the Cats.  It would have allowed them to relax a bit and start a new slump.  They played really hard in the 1st and Bob kept them at bay.  Markstrom can do the same, when he is playing well.  He has had good and bad.  

 

What is key for the Flames is to score in the first period (or at least first) and the doubt will cause them to blow up.  The other thing is to play them physical, because they will shut down. If they don't get a bunch of PP chances, they are going to get dirty.

 

Saying all that, I looked at prices of tickets for tonight.  $68 for a seat.  When has that ever been the case?  Saturday night.  BOA.  Insane.  

[travel_dude]

[travel_dude]

One last one.  I expect a good game tonight, but if it's a Flames multi-goal lead in the 3rd, the POOJ (probability of Oiler Jerseys) is close to 100%.

 

[tmac70]

IMHO if the Flames win this will be the end of any conversations about the coilers. This is the perfect time to stick a fork in them. This game is basically life support for them, a victory by the Flames should send them into a further spiral that will create a major melt down in the organization and city. Man would love to see this happen 

[The_People1]

McDavid has feasted on the Flames his entire career and tonight is likely no exception.  The Flames are exactly what the doctors ordered for the struggling Oilers.