Inconclusive? The NHL might want to take another look at it’s policies regarding the goal review process. Maybe taking the human element right out of the equation as is done in soccer and tennis would be a benefit to everyone.
Did Connor McDavid really score that goal last night? Was the Parallax Effect in full… Effect? Does it really matter? It didn’t to me.
Look, I’d say 90% of fans and pundits alike are all in agreement that this Oilers team will not make the playoffs, myself included. So why get your panties in a bunch regarding a botched call? At the time of the incident I completely understand being emotional about it and I knew as soon as the goal was called back that Twitter would be a war zone but honestly. Save your strength and emotions for a game that actually matters. Getting all worked up will not change the outcome and as I said on Twitter:
@kjelliverson the NHL does and they make the decisions… Tough titty said the kitty but the milks all gone.
— BLH (Edmonton Oilers Enthusiast} (@BeerLeagueHeroe) October 26, 2015
Now I’m not going to sit here are let you believe that I thought the reffing was good. It wasn’t. They missed some really blatant ones but this is becoming quite the theme this year and I have to wonder to myself if it’s always been like this and now it’s different because the team is starting to play well or if this is a new element to the challenge that is being an Oilers fan.
So if you can't see it, it never happened… Just like all those penalties that they should've called. #Oilers
— BLH (Edmonton Oilers Enthusiast} (@BeerLeagueHeroe) October 26, 2015
The Oilers shouldn’t have been in this situation to begin with. Korpikoski shouldn’t have taken that penalty but he did. And maybe the Oilers defence will take a look at this defensive tactic (pic below) and revisit it’s effectiveness for future reference.
Three in the Key? WTF is Fayne doing here?
Anyways, maybe the boys could do a better job in the 2nd period and next time they won’t be in this situation. On the bright side, we might be seeing Darnell Nurse sooner than later due to Justin Schultz’s questionable status after leaving last nights game. It’s either him or Nikitin…
Check out what Ryan Robinson has to say about the whole ordeal in his newest vlog!
The new McDavid inspired design! Click the pic and get it now!
We’re back for another SaWEET Sunday Night Pint! Crazy week for the Edmonton Oilers eh? A little bit of winning, a little bit of getting their asses handed to them; and the formation of a new unstoppable force… The ConYak Connection!
But as we do with the end of every week, it’s time for the SNP and joining us today are Madison “Mad Dog” Moroz (@madi39) and “Crazy” Kris Hansen (@wildcardKH). I’m going to tag in as well to complete this trifecta of terror!
Topics today are as follows:
Favorite hockey quotes.
Biggest surprise/disappointment this season so far.
THE franchise player you’d build your team around (all-time).
Dirtiest hockey play ever!
Let’s get this party started!
WHO’S THE BIGGEST SURPRISE/DISAPPOINTMENT ON THE OILERS SO FAR?
MM: The biggest surprise to me this season is Justin Schultz. It’s been pleasant, coming into this season, I didn’t know what to expect from this kid anymore because he has been such a roller coaster of a player, hope was beginning to be lost. Then he showed up to camp and the coaching staff immediately commented on his I’m improved play. He has shown a huge boost in confidence and sprinkled in a pinch of aggressiveness to his game.
KH: It’s a great question. I do not have really any huge surprises right now. McDavid and Talbot are living up to expectations for sure. I’ll say that Gryba has been a pleasant surprise. He is constantly rotating partners and has been the most consistent defender.
However, Sekera and Fayne both need to step up and badly. I still think Sekera has looked better these last few games and is getting adjusted to a new team, but still, I expect a lot more from him.
BLH: I’ll tell you what, Yakupov has been the biggest surprise for me. He had chance after chance in the last few seasons to play with the elites on the team like Hall and Nuge, I never thought he’d start producing like he is now.
As for a disappointment, I’m going to go with the Oilers defence as a whole. I thought they’d be a bit better to be honest. Adding Sekera, Reinhart, and Gryba was supposed to shore up the Oilers leaky defence. It has not.
WHICH PLAYER WOULD YOU BUILD YOUR TEAM AROUND IF YOU COULD PICK FROM ANYBODY IN HISTORY?
MM: Sidney Crosby, it wasn’t an easy choice cause my heart is telling me to say McDavid lol. But Crosby is just on a whole other level with his game, his speed, his shot, his vision, his hockey IQ, his passion and hunger to win. He is a great leader on and the off ice and tends to stay rather humble. I still consider him the best player in the NHL and still has a chance to go down as arguably the greatest to play the game. Not sure what else you can say about the guy, his play speaks for itself. He’s started the year off a bit rough, but there isn’t any else I’d rather choose to have the puck on his stick in the final minute of game 7 of the cup finals.
KH: Obviously, it would be Gretzky, Lemieux or Orr, but where’s the fun in that?
For past players, I’d go back to say Gordie Howe. Could you imagine a Prime Gordie Howe on the Edmonton Oilers? That would not even be fair. He could do it all: score and had that nasty element that demanded respect. Plus that durability and longevity. Just golden.
For present players, it’s a bit more tough. I think McDavid is a great answer because he is that good but if we’re looking around the NHL….I’ll go with Doughty. Sure, could say Crosby or Ovechkin and they are fine picks, but again going against the grain with Doughty. He’s still young, has so much under his belt and is still missing that elusive Norris Trophy.
BLH: If I had to start franchise with any player in the history of hockey I’d go with… It’s hard not to say Gretzky, Orr, or Plante but I’m going to go off the board and say Dominik Hasek. A career .922 Sv% and two consecutive league MVPs is nothing to shake a stick at and I just remember him being unbeatable in a time when Gretzky, Bure, Lemieux, Jagr, Forsberg, Selanne, etc. quite possibly the greatest collection of goal scorers in the history of the NHL were playing.
And as we know a good goalie can make a mediocre team look great but a mediocre goalie can make a great team look shat.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE HOCKEY QUOTE?
MM: “You just have to say ‘Screw it’, to losing and get the mentality that we can win games here.” – Connor McDavid
KH: Conn Smythe’s “If you can’t beat ’em in the alley, you can’t beat ’em on the ice.” It just screams the slugfest hockey can become.
BLH: “We know that hockey is where we live, where we can best meet and overcome pain and wrong and death. Life is just a place where we spend time between games.” – Fred Shero, Coach of the Philadelphia Flyers
WHAT’S THE DIRTIEST PLAY YOU’VE EVER SEEN IN HOCKEY?
MM: The dirtiest play I have ever seen, probably has to be the Todd Bertuzzi cheap shot from behind on Steve Moore. He ended someones career, all because he took a run at your captain. It was just reckless, stupid and disgusting. A close second is the Dale Hunter hit on Pierre Turgeon which I believed happened in the playoffs and was the latest hit I’ve ever witnessed after scoring a goal.
KH: Yep. It’s the Claude Lemieux on Kris Draper hit. Absolutely gutless and horrendous . Lemieux literally broke Draper’s face. That Avs-Wings Rivalry which I grew up with was downright nasty and that was the boiling point for sure.
BLH: dirrrrrttttaaaaayyyy!
Well thanks for being with us today, I hope you enjoyed our Sunday Night Pint and feel free to let us know in the comments below your thoughts on today’s topics!
Oh! Before you go, head on over to the Beer League Heroes Merch Shop and grab the NEW “97 Drops of Hope” shirt! It’s on sale for 30% off and I heard it was a bit crisp today back home! Maybe a hoodie would treat you a bit better. Either way, click on the pic below and it will take you right to the shop!
Where to find it: TV: Sportsnet, Sportsnet 360 Radio: 630 CHED
Edmonton Oilers Preview:
Well, that Washington game was less than ideal but we have to remember we did face the one of the team’s widely considered to be a cup favourite. As the team learns and grows as a group, these games will unfortunately still happen. At this point, it’s about how we rebound after a rough game, and that is what I am excited to see from tonight’s matchup.
Brandon Davidson draws back into the lineup but I really don’t know if Davidson is the right fit to be in Edmonton right now.
Walter Foddis’ pregame Analytical Preview:
Pre-Game Analytics: LA vs. EDM – Oct 25/15 Against Los Angeles, Edmonton will be facing their toughest defensive pairings. Toughness can be measured using a Quality of Competition index such as each pair’s Shot Attempt differential (SAT%).
I list the Kings’ defensive pairs, which are organized by time-on-ice. This also implies how Sutter deploys them and against whom. I would expect, then, that because Doughty and Muzzin receive the most ice-time, they and their respective D-partners, will be facing the Oilers top-two lines.
Note that all 3 pairs have a positive (i.e., >50%) shot attempt differential, with the Muzzin/Martinez pairing having exceptional numbers. (This is pretty standard for Muzzin, who has lead the LA defense in SAT% since 2012/13.)
How does this compare to the Oilers’ D-pairs?
1. Schultz & Klefbom – 48.6%
2. Sekera & Fayne – 48.5%
3(a). Gryba & Ference – 44.9%
3(b). Gryba & Reinhart – 36.9%
Comparing the 3rd pairings, the difference is as wide as 20%, which is a raw shot attempt differential of about 44 per 60 minutes. In effect, in a typical game at 5v5 (15 min.) we’d expect that with Ehrhoff/McBain on the ice, the Kings would out-shoot a Gryba/Reinhart-backed Oilers by 11 shot attempts.
We all know that’s the Oilers weakest area is their defense, so the above comparisons are not too surprising. The Oilers top-2 lines are going to be challenged not only by the King’s top-4 defenders, but the strong possession-dominant top-2 forward lines, which are centered by Kopitar and Carter.
I do not expect the Oilers to win the possession game, but can they keep it close, or at least better than last season. In 2014/15, Edmonton’s score-adjusted SAT% against LA was 43.6% and their score-adjusted Scoring Chance differential was 44.8%. If the Oilers improve these differentials by 3% to 4%, I would consider that a significant improvement.
The Otherside:
Goaltender Jonathan Quick, 9-0-2 in his past 11 decisions against Edmonton, is likely to start. He and forward Tyler Toffoli have helped Los Angeles win four in a row after it started with three losses. “We’re playing harder and a little more desperate,” center Anze Kopitar after a 3-0 win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday. “We didn’t start off very hot and now we’re building.” Quick has allowed two goals on 89 shots in winning his past three starts. Toffoli has six goals, including two against the Hurricanes, and has a four-game streak. – NHL.com
Taylor Hall – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Rob Klinkhammer
Benoit Pouliot – Connor McDavid – Nail Yakupov
Lauri Korpikoski – Anton Lander – Teddy Purcell
Luke Gazdic – Mark Letestu – Iiro Pakarinen
Oscar Klefbom – Justin Schultz
Andrej Sekera – Mark Fayne
Brandon Davidson – Eric Gryba
Cam Talbot
Kings:
Marian Gaborik – Anze Kopitar – Dustin Brown
Milan Lucic – Jeff Carter – Tyler Toffoli
Tanner Pearson – Nick Shore – Trevor Lewis
Kyle Clifford – Andy Andreoff – Jordan Nolan
It’s time for the weekly round up with our beloved Edmonton Oilers!
This week, the Oilers had three games on the dock: A 3-2 Overtime win in Vancouver, a 3-1 win here in Edmonton vs Detroit and a poorly played 7-4 lost versus a good Washington team.
Going 2-1 this week, the Oilers have improved their record to 3-5-0.
Edmonton Oilers Three Stars of the Week
3. Mark Letestu
Letestu gets the nod for the third star of the week as he had some pretty good chances via McDavid, including his first of his Oilers career. He’s been showing some great energy in the bottom six role and I’m starting to notice good things about him more and more.
2. Cam Talbot
He’s the number one goalie, no question. Nilsson had a poor showing (albeit there’s a debate to how much of that loss against Washington was truly his fault) and Talbot was simply superb this week. He had two wins and was solid in relief of Nilsson in an awful game from the Oilers. He looked especially great against Detroit. Isn’t it great having a goalie that we can finally trust? I imagine we will have some speculation about his next contract soon.
1. Connor McDavid
McDavid had points in all three games. He had a very nice assist to Nail Yakupov against Vancouver, Scored a highlight worthy goal against Detroit and had a goal and an assist against Washington. Sure, he had an own goal against Washington and had a rough night despite the points, but he’s 18 and he’s starting to look like he’s going to be an elite talent….very soon. Not that nobody was doubting that.
Edmonton Oilers Rumors:
Pretty quiet on the Oilers front. It’s still very early on in the year and should not be a surprise that there is a lack of movement throughout the league. Struggling teams will make coaching changes before making a significant trade. Usually at least.
