Edmonton Oilers

[doulos]

Here's the thing though. Maybe there's something to what he is saying about handedness, but everyone thinks the idea is nuts and never try it. How do we know that there isn't something to the idea unless it gets tried, even in practice.

This is how new ideas get created. Many of them might be crap, but at least it gives a place to start trying new things.

[rataylor22]

Would you rather have Boyd Gordon running out PP1 instead of Nuge because he shoots the "preferable" way? I think it's bad coaching to force fit players into a system instead of making a system to fit your players. This kind've extends to why I think Eakins as a bad coach. He will continue trying to push square pegs into round holes instead of turning the toy and putting the square peg into the square hole.

[metaldude26]

He does always seem to think he was always right. I also think he says stuff to "prove" he's smart sometimes and I don't think it works. He wrote an article at the start of last year saying that they needed to either take Hall or RNH off of PP1 because of their "handedness" saying it didn't mesh together, which I think is misguided.

I'm of the opinion you need to find a PP setup using your best players, not find players to work in a PP setup. Eberle has good tight in hands. Yakupov is your best shot. RNH is your best passer. Hall is your best player. Find a way to use those talents together, not "we should setup our PP in this five man formation, now what players can we slot in where?"

If I recall, that article wasn't just about handedness but also about simply putting Hall in a better position to use his talents as the best player. He was advocating pushing RNH off the top unit to get Hall the puck a lot more on the right half-wall and right slot where he is lethal, instead of having him work the corner/side of the net. Pushing RNH to the second unit means potentially having TWO lethal PP groups on a team that certainly has enough talent to just roll PP units.

The issue with that argument is that it doesn't necessarily fit. The Oilers have been rolling with the same basic power play setup since RNH got into the league, which is a single defenseman manning the point, RNH on the right half-wall setting things up, Hall down low, Eberle on the left slot for one-timers and a rotating cast of dummies filling the net-front. And before last season the Oilers had ranked as a top-10 unit scoring on 20% of their power plays. They dropped to like 18th at 17% last season. Maybe they just got unlucky and didn't need to change anything. Maybe they lost some of their cohesion under a new coaching staff. Or maybe their opponents finally figured them out.

In any case, this power play setup is not dissimilar from those run by many teams around the league including Pittsburgh and Washington who tied for tops in PP efficiency last season. The Penguins for example stick Crosby in that same down low, side net spot that the Oilers stuck Hall. This was in part to get Malkin the puck in space on the half-wall where he can create. It works because Crosby has the bulldog strength, skating and tenacity to be a force at the side of the net scoring greasy goals and corralling pucks out of the corner. That's not Hall's game as of yet, which is why it doesn't work quite the same. Also, Hall and RNH aren't exactly in the class of Crosby and Malkin.

In any case, it's possible for both of these points to be right. The Oilers power play was struggling compared to their previous standard so it would have been worth looking at shaking things up but it ultimately falls on the coaches to find a fit for the team's best players.

[rataylor22]

I think they need to just switch Eberle and Yak. Maybe I'm biased, but if there is one guy I want taking one-timers its Yakupov (yes above Schultz and Hall). I remember watching a game with my dad last year. Full disclosure he HATES the Oilers (we are in Calgary, and he is Flames all the way) and if you ask his opinion on Hall, RNH, Yak, Ebs, they are shit. All bad, just terrible players lol. He ESPECIALLY hates Yakupov (Russian, Flashy, my dad is kinda like Cherry haha). Anyways. We were watching the game and Yak unleashed a one-timer that missed the net and my dad just looked at me and was like "My god. That was a fricken hard shot. Like he gets that on target, and not a lot of goalies are stopping it."

Aside from that. I still want my best players getting the majority of the PP time, and the 2 best Oilers are Hall and RNH. Eberle doesn't do it for me.

[metaldude26]

I think they need to just switch Eberle and Yak. Maybe I'm biased, but if there is one guy I want taking one-timers its Yakupov (yes above Schultz and Hall). I remember watching a game with my dad last year. Full disclosure he HATES the Oilers (we are in Calgary, and he is Flames all the way) and if you ask his opinion on Hall, RNH, Yak, Ebs, they are shit. All bad, just terrible players lol. He ESPECIALLY hates Yakupov (Russian, Flashy, my dad is kinda like Cherry haha). Anyways. We were watching the game and Yak unleashed a one-timer that missed the net and my dad just looked at me and was like "My god. That was a fricken hard shot. Like he gets that on target, and not a lot of goalies are stopping it."

Aside from that. I still want my best players getting the majority of the PP time, and the 2 best Oilers are Hall and RNH. Eberle doesn't do it for me.

Well that really wouldn't fit because of handedness. It seems like a stupid sticking point but it's MUCH easier for Eberle to get off quick one-timers from the left side because of his righty shot than it would be for Yakupov because he shoots lefty so he'd be receiving passes across his body. It can be done. I'll go back to the Pittsburgh example and point to the success James Neal had in that exact spot despite being a lefty but Neal is also a bigger body and can thus carve out space for himself that much easier. Guys like Yakupov and Eberle need that space opened up for them so they are going to move towards the middle a lot less and that peripheral play increases the utility of having a right-handed shot there.

You could of course flip the hub of the power play and instead go with a right-handed shot on the left-wall setting things up. Then you could have one-time options in Hall and Yakupov both playing on their strong side but that's actually something that the Oilers did do some of with Perron on the second unit.

But really I just think that their power play was just a bit unlucky more than it was dysfunctional. The Oilers would have needed only 8 more power play goals to have matched their 20% efficiency from the previous two seasons. That's one bounce every 10 games. I'm not sure it's a problem.

[doulos]

Would you rather have Boyd Gordon running out PP1 instead of Nuge because he shoots the "preferable" way? I think it's bad coaching to force fit players into a system instead of making a system to fit your players. This kind've extends to why I think Eakins as a bad coach. He will continue trying to push square pegs into round holes instead of turning the toy and putting the square peg into the square hole.

Would have to read the article as I highly doubt he was suggesting Boyd Gordon on PP1. There must be a middle ground somewhere between rigid traditionalism, and wild out there ideas.

[rataylor22]

Would have to read the article as I highly doubt he was suggesting Boyd Gordon on PP1. There must be a middle ground somewhere between rigid traditionalism, and wild out there ideas.

Being honest, I can't fully remember, but I'm pretty sure it was pre-trade and he was suggesting Horcoff. Again, don't quote me though.

[rataylor22]

Well that really wouldn't fit because of handedness. It seems like a stupid sticking point but it's MUCH easier for Eberle to get off quick one-timers from the left side because of his righty shot than it would be for Yakupov because he shoots lefty so he'd be receiving passes across his body. It can be done. I'll go back to the Pittsburgh example and point to the success James Neal had in that exact spot despite being a lefty but Neal is also a bigger body and can thus carve out space for himself that much easier. Guys like Yakupov and Eberle need that space opened up for them so they are going to move towards the middle a lot less and that peripheral play increases the utility of having a right-handed shot there.

You could of course flip the hub of the power play and instead go with a right-handed shot on the left-wall setting things up. Then you could have one-time options in Hall and Yakupov both playing on their strong side but that's actually something that the Oilers did do some of with Perron on the second unit.

But really I just think that their power play was just a bit unlucky more than it was dysfunctional. The Oilers would have needed only 8 more power play goals to have matched their 20% efficiency from the previous two seasons. That's one bounce every 10 games. I'm not sure it's a problem.

I've a real problem with this on the basis that Eberle doesn't. So often I watch him receive a pass that should be a one-timer for an easy goal and he will double clutch it, trying to get off the perfect wrist shot instead of just getting it off quickly, or else he will hold it looking for a pass first and then shoot far too late.

[Savvy1982]

I've a real problem with this on the basis that Eberle doesn't. So often I watch him receive a pass that should be a one-timer for an easy goal and he will double clutch it, trying to get off the perfect wrist shot instead of just getting it off quickly, or else he will hold it looking for a pass first and then shoot far too late.

When Yak went on his big goal scoring run at the end of 2012-13 how was he getting his goals?

I seem to remember that a good chunk of them were one-timers, but I could be wrong.

[rataylor22]

When Yak went on his big goal scoring run at the end of 2012-13 how was he getting his goals?

I seem to remember that a good chunk of them were one-timers, but I could be wrong.

I was saying Eberle refuses to release a one-timer, not Yak. My apologies if that was unclear

[metaldude26]

I've a real problem with this on the basis that Eberle doesn't. So often I watch him receive a pass that should be a one-timer for an easy goal and he will double clutch it, trying to get off the perfect wrist shot instead of just getting it off quickly, or else he will hold it looking for a pass first and then shoot far too late.

This is true. Eberle is not the fastest release but the shot angle is still better for him shooting righty than it is for Yakupov shooting lefty.

[yougo]

Perhaps trying RNH on the right point on the PP, with Yakupov on the right side, Hall down low, Eberle left side and Schultz left point could be an option. Dangerous thing about that is that if there's a turnover, the PK unit will probably attack RNH's side.

[rataylor22]

Perhaps trying RNH on the right point on the PP, with Yakupov on the right side, Hall down low, Eberle left side and Schultz left point could be an option. Dangerous thing about that is that if there's a turnover, the PK unit will probably attack RNH's side.

I think I'd rather have RNH playing defense than Schultz lol

[metaldude26]

Perhaps trying RNH on the right point on the PP, with Yakupov on the right side, Hall down low, Eberle left side and Schultz left point could be an option. Dangerous thing about that is that if there's a turnover, the PK unit will probably attack RNH's side.

That would just throw things seriously out of whack because now you've eliminated a large portion of what makes RNH threatening from the right side, which is his shot. Not only that but now you've put your last line of defense (Schultz) in an awkward position shooting across his body on one-timers.

[Savvy1982]

I was saying Eberle refuses to release a one-timer, not Yak. My apologies if that was unclear

I wasn't implying that you did.

I'm just genuinely curious - is Yak better at scoring off the rush, or is his one-timer actually his most potent weapon?