Category Archives: Madison Moroz

Bakersfield Condors, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, Edmonton Oilers Post Game Report, Lindsay Ryall, Madison Moroz, NHL, NHL Entry Draft, Prospects, Trades

Chiarelli Isn’t the Only Oilers GM We Could Accuse of Poor Asset Management by Lindsay Ryall

Anton-Slepyshev
Pic courtesy of Conway’s Russian Hockey Blog.

When the news of Anton Slepyshev’s availability in trade was distributed indiscreetly to Oilers fans on Tuesday, few could have been surprised.  But more than a few (including myself) were likely disappointed.  For a team in search of speed, size, and value, Slepyshev seemed to have the potential to check off all the boxes.

Drafted in the third round of the 2013 entry draft, Slepy showed potential from the start.  Playing with the big boys in the KHL as a teenager, Slepyshev was one of Russia’s leaders on their 2013 and 2014 U20 WJC team.  At the 2014 WJC he scored at a point per game rate and paced Russia to a bronze medal that year vs the top U20 talent in the world.

Unlike some young prospects, Anton didn’t seem to be in a rush to the big league.  He spent two more years in the KHL before coming over to take a crack at the NHL.  When he arrived, Mclellan seemed impressed, commenting on the professional edge he held over some of the other rookies.  However,  not long after making the team, Slepyshev was sent down to Bakersfield, a move that didn’t take long . . . it doesn’t appear patience is a virtue with Mclellan.

After spending the balance of the year with Bakersfield (scoring 13 ginos in 49 games) he re-joined the Oilers for the balance of the 2017 season, providing some timely scoring in the playoffs on a line with Leon Draisaitl and Milan Lucic.  Big things were expected of Slepy in the 2017-18 season, the P.O.H himself even said so . . . so what went wrong.

Two things: The player got injured and his progress lost momentum, and, he was not put in a position to succeed.  Anton Slepyshev is not a fourth line player, nor should he be.  For velocity and accuracy, his wrist shot is the best on the team, and he was never shy about using it.  Slepy also had no issues going to the front of the net, with speed and purpose.  But he was never going to accomplish anything on the fourth line, and he didn’t.  On the brief moments he spent next to the Nuge he looked good.  But he was never again put on a line with Draisaitl and Lucic . . . save 19 seconds according to Bruce McCurdy.

So within a matter of months the Oilers have devalued a prospect from one with clearly demonstrated potential, to whatever the NHL’s equivalent of a bag of pucks would be (see Nail Yakupov trade).  The situation is both puzzling and frustrating to watch.  But it’s not a story we haven’t seen before.  Even before the decade of darkness, the Oilers had a habit of shipping prospects off prematurely and letting other teams reap the benefits.  Interestingly Slepyshev would have a few close compatibles from Oilers’ past.

Oilers Have a Long History of Downtrading

Martin Gelinas: Although Gelinas was not drafted by the Oilers (selected 7th overall in the 1988 entry draft by LA), they were his first NHL organization as he came over in the now infamous Wayne Gretzky trade.  Gelinas established himself as a member of the kid line in the Oilers’ last successful cup run in 1990 showing speed and some offense.  Gelinas followed up with 20 goals in his first full season with the Oil in 1990 – 91.  Nonetheless, he often drew the ire of then head coach John Muckler and was eventually traded by Glen Sather for rugged forward Scott Pearson in a trade with the Quebec Nordiques.  Gelinas would go on to have a successful NHL career, scoring 660 points over 18 NHL seasons.  And Scott Pearson?  If that name doesn’t ring a bell, it shouldn’t: Pearson scored 98 NHL points and spent most of his pro career as a minor-leaguer.

Miroslav Satan: Drafted 111th overall in 1993 out of Slovakia, Satan showed an early scoring touch for the Oilers, notching 18 goals in 64 games in his 1994 rookie season. 1994, part of the first dark era in Edmonton Oiler history.  Satan showed good potential, however was traded by then Oiler GM Glen Sather in his second season to the Buffalo Sabres for Craig Millar and Brian Moore . . ..   Satan would go on to score 30 plus goals in four seasons including a 40 goal campaign in 1998 – 99, mostly with Buffalo.  Craig Millar and Barrie Moore combined would not play in 40 NHL games . . .

Kyle Brodziak: Something of a local boy hailing from St. Paul, Ab., Brodziak was drafted 214th overall in 2003. Brodziak cracked the big club in 2008, scoring 14 and 11 goals in his first two seasons respectively, playing mostly on the bottom six.  Apparently, that wasn’t good enough for then GM Steve Tambellini as he traded Brodziak (under the advice of then coach MacT) plus a 6th round pick, to Minnesota for a fourth and fifth in the 2009 entry draft.  Brodziak remains a productive player, providing equal parts grit and scoring, currently with St. Louis Blues.  For the picks Edmonton received in the trade, the Oilers landed . . . Linus Omark, who is no longer in the NHL, and never made an impact.

So how will Slepyshev develop as a player?  My guess is somewhere between Gelinas and Brodziak, closer to Gelinas.  He has a better shot than Gelinas but isn’t as fast.  I would rate his hockey sense as average at best, but he has the skills, and over time he will learn how to use them.  My guess is, he will develop into at 15 goal 40 point guy if he sees consistent ice time on the top nine.

Now, I don’t have a direct line to Chiarelli’s office so, maybe this move was prompted by Slepyshev demanding a trade.  Possibly.  But based on what we know, Slepshev’s imminent departure is spurred by player mismanagement by the coach.  And what will the Oilers receive in return?  With the way Chia desperately advertised the player, I don’t see any team rushing to offer a prospect or a pick in the top three rounds.  The Oilers will likely receive a career AHL player, or a pick no earlier than the fifth round.  And why would we expect anything different?  With respect to Oiler asset management, it seems to be a long tradition.

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Madison Moroz, NHL

No Player Would Avoid This All Star Game

Today’s All-Star game has become something of a farce as of late. Within recent years having big name players dropping out, such as Sidney Crosby, Pavel Datsyuk and now most recently from this year Alexander Ovechkin and Jonathan Toews who would excel at the new 3 on 3 format. It seems the game has lost its lustre, has lost the honour it once held when every single guy was thrilled to play to represent their conference or country. Wales vs Campbell, North America vs the world, those were the days. There was still a level of playfulness but guys still went hard, they backchecked a little, goalies gave a little extra effort. There was still a sense of pride within the players when they played and now it’s just become some sort of spectacle where no one really gives a flying $@!#. The NHL has to do something to make this game meaningful again, make guys want to play in it, not start campaigns like Jagr (who yes I know is older) did telling everyone to not vote for him, or we have the Rory Fitzpatrick incident in the 2006-2007 season, and now our most recent John Scott debacle.

This game should have some purpose, should have some heart still attached to it. It was refreshing to hear in an interview on Oilers TV with Tom Gazzola and Taylor Hall and see how excited he was and have this little tid bit of a quote “I think it’s going to be a good experience. It’s going to be fast. I don’t know about the other guys, but I’m going to try pretty hard. I’m excited about the whole thing.” Does he need to go out there and try hard, by all means no but he wants to cause there is still meaning to this game to him, there is still a little something to prove out there with best of the best.

Here are some proposing changes in my opinion that could make this game worth something, where guys wouldn’t get sick or “injuries” and miss the game and its festivities.

1.Put something meaningful on the line for the game, not just cash.

I am going to have to steal this idea from the MLB All-star game, which yes is an All-star game to the fans, but to the players, something much bigger is on the line. That being the winning conference AL or NL, gets home field advantage come world series time. I’m not sure if anyone has ever watched one before but these guys still joke around have a little fun, but it’s still down to business and they are doing everything they can to make sure their team wins, in hopes they get home field advantage in the world series. I believe the NHL should adopt this idea, and give the winning conference home ice advantage for the hardest trophy to win in all of the sports. Guys like Ovechkin, and Crosby and Datsyuk and many others wouldn’t be skipping this game and taking their slap on the wrist. Especially guys on cup contenders or guys in playoff positions, they wouldn’t want to miss the chance of ensuring that if their team makes the final, they get the home ice advantage.

Now by all means, I’m not saying for these players to go out and hit and give it 120% and risk an injury and hurt themselves or someone else and kill the rest of their season. Just simply would like to see some more backchecking, some actual defensive play, and guys not cherry picking every shift looking to hang out and overall a bit more effort. Would love to see the goalies not hung out to dry as often, and let them make some impactful saves, keep them in the game. By all means I’m not saying take away that sense of fun and being able to let loose during the game, some of the best moments are the players mic’d up for example in the 2011-2012 All-star game, Scott Hartnell mic’d up and chirping Dion Phaneuf every chance he got, was fantastic to see and showed how light-hearted some of the more aggressive bruisers of the game are.

2.Take away the fan voting, not entirely but establish a new system

Now obviously I might take a little heat on this one, because some tend to enjoy the fact that the fans can have control like they do in deciding who is an NHL All-star and who’s not. One small problem, fans tend to make some poor player a mockery of it or a joke causing incidents like the “Vote for Rory Fitzpatrick” campaign that happened during the 2006-2007 season, even the player going as far as making up T-shirts and pushing himself when he clearly doesn’t belong there. I propose that the NHL establish a committee of Head coaches, scouts and even some analysts and pick the respective players that deserve to be there. You could even just do Head coaches and scouts as they have the best seat in the house every night to know which players belong and which doesn’t. I believe you could get a fair group of the best of the best, but still maintain each team must be represented by minimum 1 player and continue with the captain system and let him pick.

Now as far as the fan voting goes, it shouldn’t be abolished but there should be some sort of restriction in a sense. Instead of having the ability to vote for anyone and writing in anyone one player, have a larger group handpicked by the selection committee, which could be a mix of fan favorites from each team and rookies, or however they would like to break it up that way.Keep say 1 spot open per team, a wildcard position if you must and let the fans vote on that player. It keeps the fans interactive still and ices the best product for the weekend, even in the skills competition.

3. Last not but not least, which is the most drastic idea, but create heavy fines and suspensions for missing out.

It always seems so convenient that a player comes down with an illness or a nagging injury that just so happens to flare up days before the All-star game. These guys may not know it, but they are dropping the value of this game, the game its self is losing the integrity and it’s sad to see. Yes I do understand some guys really can’t play and could use the few days rest, but the NHL needs to set up a neutral doctor in these situations to make sure these guys are in fact A-okay to play and aren’t just using a little sore wrist to get out what’s supposed to be an amazing display of skill and raw talent, especially this year with the new 3 on 3 format. Start making these players accountable in a big way for missing and I’m certain they will think twice before missing. But maybe if ideas 1 and 2 happen, they won’t need to even worry about this. I do understand they get a little slap on the wrist for missing the game, but I would rather see a heavier fine and heavier suspension if a player is, in fact, choosing not go without a legitimate reason.

In closing, we all just want to see the best of the best in the NHL face off against each other, the ones who deserve to be there at. Watch them enjoy themselves on the ice and still show the lighter side of what can be a brutal sport sometimes. Also, have them share a fantastic weekend with their families, cause for some this is their first or their last All-Star experience. The NHL needs to do something to make this game more meaningful, give it more purpose, they made it more exciting with the 3 on 3. Now it’s time to make this game worth something again, and restore the honour this weekend once had and bestowed upon its participating players and not just make it all for the show, but again make it so players are counting down the days to get there and putting something important on the line.

Here’s a look at the 2016 NHL All-Star Jerseys in case no one as seen them, let us know what you think in the comments below.

 

Thanks for reading everyone, let me know what you think  @madi39 on twitter or in the comments section below!

Edmonton Oilers, Edmonton Oilers Post Game Report, Madison Moroz, NHL

BLH Post Gamer- G11- Edmonton Oilers Vs Montreal Canadiens

HOLY JUMPING!!!!!! WHAT A COMEBACK!!!! WHAT…..A…….COMEBACK……!!!!! I’M STILL AT A LOSS OF WORDS!!

Okay back to reality. This team showed such resiliency and effort. They never gave up and the players that we needed to step, stepped up! Leon was up for his first game of the season, Darnell Nurse with his second, they both helped lead the charge with their never give up attitude and made strong cases to stay with the big club.

First Period: This should be game film for the rest of the year to emphasize what NOT to do in a game. The Oilers came out flat footed, disorganized and looked like a bunch of baboons on skates. They were outshot 11-5, out scored 3-0 and this game was looking like it was going to be a blow out. 2 of the 3 goals in the period were just flat out defensive brain farts, a Klefbom turnover (unlike him). He should have been much more aggressive on Torrey Mitchell and forced him to make a play instead of being a screen for Talbot. Klefbom could have tried to force him wide or at least force him to throw a muffin on net, something other than giving him the opportunity to fire a rocket top cheddar on Talbot. Then mere seconds later, Lander decided to guard the invisible man in front and Galchenyuk was left all alone for an easy tap in.

They looked like they had no clue what was going on out there, they couldn’t handle passes, break outs, heaven forbid a pass was made on the tape. Even though he let in 3 goals on 11 shots, Cam Talbot once again was standing tall and keeping the game from going out of control. Kudos to you good sir, Kudos to you!

https://twitter.com/myregularface/status/659927093422239744

Second Period: This was a test, a true test to see how this young group could respond after playing their worst hockey of the year. I most likely can’t repeat what Coach McLellan said in the room during the intermission but I imagine a lot of F bombs were dropped and shame was thrown around like no tomorrow. Whatever was said, worked and it worked like magic.

The Oilers came out with some energy, some actual structure and organization. The boys showed some passion and fight. They showed effort outshooting the Habs 11-5 this period as they hemmed the Canadiens in their zone with a lot more sustained pressure. Quality chances were coming through and you could get a sense they were gonna put one behind the best goalie in the league, Carey Price.

The Breakouts were much cleaner, passes much simpler and crisper, and the intensity and speed picked up rigorously as the Oilers started to determine and set the pace of the game. Then they finally caught a break as Montreal took a penalty late in the game. The Oilers had good puck movement and work off the half wall which lead ultimately to Leon Draisaitl who was behind the net. With a clever little bank shot off of Carey Prices behind ze German got the boys on the board! A bounce that finally went their way.

Third Period: This is the period where the young, quick, talented, hard working Oilers showed up, and boy did they show up! What we witnessed was complete domination by the Oilers in the third period versus the NHL’s best team. Once again led by Connor McDavid, who just seems to take games over when needed. Along with Taylor Hall, these two have driven their respective lines and have turned games around for the Oilers this year. It really feels like the pieces of the puzzle are finally coming together.

The third period began with a fruitless power play but they carried the momentum with them onward after it ended. They had their wheels going, out muscling defenders and beating them to the pucks. The Oilers had the leagues best team on their heels and they had no signs of slowing down.

Connor McDavid made a smart play to fight for the puck, keep it alive and get it to the point man Darnell Nurse but instead of firing it on net, he showed patience and passed it off to Brandon Davidson who walked in and unleashed a bomb that found the back of the net with a little screen from Nail Yakupov. At this point you knew that it was on like Donkey Kong! The Oilers kept this momentum going, the defence was doing an excellent job at making sure the Habs weren’t getting rebounds and that the shots were coming from the outside, making Talbot’s job much easier for the rest of the night.

Entry into the Oilers’ zone got increasingly more difficult from the beginning of the third period as the boys in blue and orange limited the Habs’ third period shots to a measly 5. It was only few shifts later that the line of Yakupov-McDavid-Pouliot struck again with a fantastic play that started in their own zone.  A chip up the boards by Yak, then McDavid, with the presence of mind to see Pouliot breaking down the middle ice unmolested, made a nice little one touch pass whilst fending off one of the best defencemen in the NHL, PK Subban; to send Pouliot on a mini breakaway where he fired it home to tie it up!! The building went bananas!

The Oilers didn’t stop there, they continued to put pressure on Montreal’s broken defence, using their speed and support systems to force them into making mistakes. Then… Finally it happened in the last minute of play. Taylor Hall dumps it in, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins uses his speed and out muscles former Oiler Jeff Petry off the puck, circles the net and makes a beautiful pass to a trailing Leon Draisaitl who has a wide open cage to net the go ahead goal! One of the best comebacks I’ve seen in a long time and against the best in the league! OUTSTANDING!!!

Interesting tidbit about the game, a small quote from Coach Mclellan regarding something Taylor Hall did for Leon Draisaitl, if you ever questioned Hall’s leadership, i’d suggest you stop;

The evening’s Beer League Three Heroes were:

1.Leon Draisaitl – Been high on the kid since before he was drafted. He clearly took what little time he had down in the AHL and used it to his advantage. He looked stronger, smarter; more mature and far less hesitant with the puck. He was going to all the right areas on the ice, and even looked good defensively, oh and he netted the game winner to go along with another. Two goals on the evening!!

2. Connor McDavid – You know I’m getting real sick and tired of putting this kid up here…. Ahhh who am I kidding? I’ll never get tired of it. After an abysmal first he took over this game. His speed couldn’t be handled, his tenacity to get the puck wasn’t matched by any Montreal player, and he made two magnificent plays to set up the tying goal and the second goal. Seven game point streak for the kid including two assists.

3.Ryan Nugent Hopkins – He played the most minutes of anyone in the game, forward and defence. just over 25 minutes. A great performance was had at both ends of the ice, apart from having an off night in the faceoff circle, he had numerous takeaways. He also really had his legs underneath him, and made an incredible hard working play to set up Dr.Drai for the game winner. This guy is something else. One assist on the night.

You know what the Golden Plunger can sit beside the Toilet today… that was too epic of a comeback, but an honourable mention will just go to the horrible first period.

Here are some post game metrics AKA Fancy stats from our very own Walter Foddis!

Helluva of a ride! Especially with that first period where everyone was ready to step off the ledge, to the dominating second and third periods. Those were the catalysts to one of the best comebacks this team has ever seen, especially against the best team in the NHL at this point in time. What the Oilers did in the second and third periods are what they will have to replicate every game. The urgency, the commitment, the extra 10% every shift and not giving up no matter the score. Sticking to the game plan, trusting one another and feeding off each and every player on that bench. This isn’t the team of individual efforts anymore, it’s about creating momentum and possession.

Next game is against the Calgary Flames Saturday night for another installment of the BOA. Last time out it was a bit of a cake walk, but the Oilers can’t expect it to be the same. Calgary hasn’t been playing so hot and is going to be hungry and looking for some vengeance for their last loss against the Oilers. Edmonton will just have to do what they did last game, continue to find the scoring areas, use their speed down the wings and crash the net as either Flames goalie doesn’t have the highest of confidence. Lots of shots, quick movement and sticking to the game plan and the Oilers should walk away with a win, especially after having the momentum they have after this win, and playing Calgary at home. Should be a high energy packed game with the Oilers coming out on top.

Thanks for reading everyone, let me know what you think @madi39 or in the comments section below!

Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, Kris Hansen, Madison Moroz, NHL, Sunday Night Pint

BLH Sunday Night Pint #13

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!

The new McDavid inspired design!

Take Care!

BLH

Edmonton Oilers, Edmonton Oilers Post Game Report, Madison Moroz, NHL

BLH Post Gamer- G8 Edmonton Oilers Vs Washington Capitals

3 Comments

Tonight was a big test for the Edmonton Oilers, coming in on a three game winning streak and beating the Red Wings last game rather convincingly. But man oh man was it just a gong show from the puck drop, we knew it was going to be a shootout with the Capitals but I just didn’t expect it to be a slaughter. Washington was coming off a back to back and was starting their back up, Phillip Grubauer. Edmonton should have came out and forced the puck down their throats and wore them down as much as possible. Instead they tried to skate with them and continued to let Washington find themselves and keep themselves in the game. I felt maybe it was too much confidence coming into the game off a winning streak and at home, as well as not being fully prepared for tonight’s game.

Tonight the Washington Capitals used their speed, simple passes and broke out of their zone with ease and really exposed the Oilers defence. It was not a good night and it didn’t start off well as Washington CAPITAL-ized on a beautiful passing play finished off by Kuznetzov, who would go on to add two more and tack on two apples for a 5 point night. Credit to the Oilers though, they continued to battle back going shot for shot, goal for goal. The Oilers were matching the caps speed and utilizing it by continually putting pucks behind the defenders, winning the battles and getting a cycle or at the very least a strong possession shift. The first period was pretty well even though the Oil were down by 1 going into the second, they still managed to keep the shots even and there were no signs of capitulation.

https://twitter.com/myregularface/status/657730054957506560

Right off the bat in the 2nd they had a quick strike to tie it up! A power play goal coming from the RED HOT Connor McDavid. The crowd was jacked but it seemed all to all go down hill from there. The Oilers were caught flat footed and they were puck watching almost every chance they got. The legs just weren’t underneath them.

The Oilers had their moments in the second frame with a few power plays they should have capitalized on, but once again these were the demise of their own momentum. The Capitals potted 3 quick goals that went unanswered and that was that. I’m not sure Anders Nilsson could have done much on most of them, as he was getting little to no help all night. But that’s not to say he was standing on his head like the previous two games. Tonight no one was doing anyone any favors, even with an offence scoring 4 goals it appeared that everyone was falling complacent on the defensive side of the puck. A lot of the times tonight everyone o the ice seemed to be in La La Land as they were being hypnotized by the puck movement and skill of this veteran-laden Capitals team and it gave the Caps’ power house offence even more room to play with in the offensive zone.

It’s odd saying that the effort just wasn’t there, especially when you score four goals but the 3rd period was chalked full of uninspiring hockey. I mean anytime you score four you should be skating away with the victory. Not only that but not scoring on a two man advantage was the nail in the coffin. Bad habits crept into everyone’s game once they got down and the boys were gripping those sticks a bit too tightly. I can only imagine the sort of talk the coaching staff had with the group after the game and what’s going to be said and done at practice tomorrow.

Tonight was a learning lesson, growing pains, that no matter who you are facing and no matter how well your offence is playing that you can’t fall complacent and forget about the defensive side of the puck as teams like the Capitals will jump on every opportunity to create a scoring chance. One of the biggest factors tonight, was the unnecessary penalties they were taking, not just because they were down 3 goals, but because it was killing any and all momentum the team was building up.

It was just a horrendous up and down game, mistake followed by another mistake, followed by another. This is going to be a game they are really going to have to learn off of, pay attention to the moments they were caught standing still and/or out of position and figure out what to do to fix it. What happened tonight is something they need to make sure they don’t build bad habits off it. Find a solution, fix it, and move onto the next game and continue to improve. The Oilers were just outmatched tonight by what is arguably the best team in the east with all do respect to the Montreal Canadiens.

Tonights Three Beer League Heroes are:

1. Evgeny Kuznetzov – This is what Capitals fans have been waiting for, tonight he showed his dynamic speed, skill and talent. 3 goals, and 2 assists accompanied with 7 shots. He was by far the best player on the ice.

2. Ryan Nugent Hopkins – He played an excellent game tonight, 1 goal, 1 assist and played a great north/south game; he was strong in his own zone, was 73% on the draws and was winning every puck battle. Nuge is starting to play more and more on the PK and is becoming a key contributor to the NHL’ s #1 PK.

3.Nicklas Backstrom – Since returning from his injury he’s been red hot, he quickly showing why he is one of the best centres in the NHL. He showed his touch and speed when he got sprung on a break away and put away the second capitals goal, finished with 1 goal and 1 assist, but he was also all over the ice tonight, creating something on every shift he was out there for.

Tonight’s Golden Plunger award goes to….!

Teddy Purcell looked like the last few games since being demoted to the third line, that he actually found himself and was playing some solid hockey. He was playing a simple game, wasn’t trying to be too fancy and had some real nice chemistry with Korpi and Lander, that was until tonight, and when he got moved up on the top line and it seemed he was killing every drive up the ice, anything positive he was seemingly destroying it. I truly had high hopes for him, but he just cant seem to find his way especially when he starts to play on the top line, maybe his confidence is shot right now, either way he’s not doing the team much good.

Andrew Ference is in the same boat, he played okay last game, not bad for being out 4 games. Tonight it was just brain fart after brain fart with this guy. He took two unnecessary penalties, and killed the momentum the Oilers had on both plays. Twice tonight he watched an icing get rimmed around his side of the boards and just watched it go down the ice for an icing call. There were moments he was on his D partners side of the ice, essentially leaving the middle and the other side of the ice open. If not for the smarts of RNH and McDavid at times, it could have gotten a lot uglier had those lanes been wide open.

Overall tonight was just a bit of a disaster, there isn’t much more to say on tonight other than to make sure something like this never happens again. They need to be more disciplined against teams like this, stay focused and stick to the game plan and make sure they stay defensively aware and stick to the defensive side of the puck. The shots were kept low tonight, but there were just too many high quality scoring chances, no matter who’s in net, its hard when thats all you’re stopping all night.

The next game is this Sunday against the surging LA Kings who have won 4 straight, after starting the season 0-3. In the past few years the Oilers have always had trouble facing the big bad Kings. But how the mighty don’t seem so mighty anymore. With a new system in place, bigger defence and a much better offensively structured system accompanied by solid goaltending should, in theory, make this game a lot different than years past.

Tyler Toffoli ,the Kings leading scorer, is on fire as of late and if the Edmonton Oilers’ defence can keep his line and him in check, they should be able to walk out of there with a win. The game plan against the Kings isn’t going to be to dump and chase, but to use their speed, work the puck down low and keep their feet moving and cause the slower Kings to put themselves out of position. This will keep Kings’ netminder Jonathan Quick from moving side to side. They will really need to work the points in this game, activating when they can to create that 4th forward situation and getting as many pucks through on net, while crashing the crease. Jonathan Quick has a temper and hates nothing more then traffic in front of him and the Oilers need to exploit that and put some pucks past him.

Thanks you for reading everyone! I know tonight was a rough game, but let me know what you think by getting in touch with me on Twitter @madi39 or in the comments section below!