Edmonton Oilers

[The Iron Sheik]

Oilers had their chances against the Leafs but they will need to get the scoring from throughout the lineup on nights when an entire team is focused on shutting down McDavid. An absolute blatant hold by Kadri on McDavid on the winning goal which was let go, but it had been happening all night long. McDavid is going to need to learn how to play through that kind of play like Mario Lemiuex had to when he was in the league. Who can forget the goal against the Nordiques when he had a guy basically dragging behind him with his stick the entire time? That's what McDavid can expect and he'll need to figure out how to game the reffing system like a player like Kadri has already figured out. It seems so shortsighted to have the McDavids/Matthews/Laine types get hooked, grabbed, interfered etc, on a constant basis, instead of playing high skilled and exciting hockey. The longer I watch NHL hockey, the less I get excited by it these days. If McDavid didn't get drafted by the Oilers I do wonder if I'd have moved on from the team and to other interests.

ONe reason is McDavid is starting to get a bit of a reputation for diving. He's had at least three I've seen this season.

[rataylor22]

Oilers had their chances against the Leafs but they will need to get the scoring from throughout the lineup on nights when an entire team is focused on shutting down McDavid. An absolute blatant hold by Kadri on McDavid on the winning goal which was let go, but it had been happening all night long. McDavid is going to need to learn how to play through that kind of play like Mario Lemiuex had to when he was in the league. Who can forget the goal against the Nordiques when he had a guy basically dragging behind him with his stick the entire time? That's what McDavid can expect and he'll need to figure out how to game the reffing system like a player like Kadri has already figured out. It seems so shortsighted to have the McDavids/Matthews/Laine types get hooked, grabbed, interfered etc, on a constant basis, instead of playing high skilled and exciting hockey. The longer I watch NHL hockey, the less I get excited by it these days. If McDavid didn't get drafted by the Oilers I do wonder if I'd have moved on from the team and to other interests.

My god. So much Edmonton whining. That was a clean play by Kadri, two players fighting for the puck and Kadri won. If McDavid made that same play you'd be on here crowing about how amazingly generational he is. Accept it, for one night Kadri got the best of the golden boy, and on that specific play he simply outmuscled him. Just give credit to a good play when it's made.

[JagrBomb]

even if you think it was a penalty, mcdavid gets more calls his way than not, it's like that for all star players. i didn't hear many oilers fans complain when he was gifted that penalty shot earlier in the season.

I wasn't able to catch most of the game but if Kadri was bodying McDavid why didn't Lucic do something about it? wasn't that specifically what he was brought in for?

[doulos]

EDIT.

[doulos]

even if you think it was a penalty, mcdavid gets more calls his way than not, it's like that for all star players. i didn't hear many oilers fans complain when he was gifted that penalty shot earlier in the season.

I wasn't able to catch most of the game but if Kadri was bodying McDavid why didn't Lucic do something about it? wasn't that specifically what he was brought in for?

I didn't complain when McDavid got the penalty shot. I thought it was excellent. Exactly because I am well aware that the rules are not followed in the NHL but sort of hapharzardly applied to whatever whim the refs feel like at the time. The Oilers probably won that game because of the botched penalty shot call, and arguably lost this game because of a botched call. It works both ways, you're right. This is exactly why I said that McDavid needs to learn how to play through that kind of play, because the league has not shown it wants to get rid of it.

McDavid will learn how, I'm not worried. Way too talented and driven to not figure it out. It just might mean he'll only score 130 point at his peak instead of 150.

[rataylor22]

Kadri had a great night doing exactly what the league allows - clutching and grabbing. He did it superbly. Not denying that at all. It was not being outmuscled on that blatant hold though. It was a clear hold.

ZNWZYyT.jpg

If you enjoy seeing star players in the league be dragged along, interfered with, and held up all over the ice then all the power to you. I don't. I'd rather see Matthews be able to skate, shoot, and score goals at the highest levels, along with the rest of the stars in the league.

It was a picture perfect game from Kadri though, led by a coach that has made a career on knowing exactly where the line is when it comes to clutch and grab, and walking right along it. Textbook Detroit Red Wings style. It's nauseating but effective.

And a second after your screenshot, McDavid is reaching into Kadri's body trying to hold him back. IE, two players battling for position. If McDavid tries to move his feet and battle, Kadri doesn't outskate him. Instead he tried to body him and it failed. Get over it.

Not to mention, McDavid attempting to hook Kadri all through the rest of the play and Kadri fighting through it. McDavid just didn't battle. It's fine, it happens. But that's what happened. You want to whine about a ticky tack missed call? Well how very.....Edmonton of you.

[The Iron Sheik]

I think clutching and grabbing is fine to an extent. If you call every little grab, then we'd have so many PPs and people would complain just like they do in football. Right now it seems like a good mix.

[doulos]

even if you think it was a penalty, mcdavid gets more calls his way than not, it's like that for all star players. i didn't hear many oilers fans complain when he was gifted that penalty shot earlier in the season.

I wasn't able to catch most of the game but if Kadri was bodying McDavid why didn't Lucic do something about it? wasn't that specifically what he was brought in for?

I do have to say though, Babcock is a heck of a coach. You can see that he knows exactly where the line is in the NHL and walks it perfectly. I thought his dig at McClellan in his press conference about triple shifting McDavid was pretty funny as well. Funny thing is McDavid actually played less ice time than usual last night, but he looked like he never left the ice in the first.

[doulos]

I definitely have faith that this team is turning it around. Big test will be if they can tread water on the road now.

A couple strange games. Lots of perimeter shots but still lots of chances in both losses. Team is off to one of its best starts in years still so that's a positive. they really seem to play to the level of their competition though, which is strange. Lucic in particular seems to become a totally different player against the good teams like Washington and St Louis, but then the rest of the team looks like they don't take the crap teams like Ottawa and Toronto seriously, even though I thought they were the better team even in both losses. It's something they will need to fix to take that next step.

[The Iron Sheik]

A couple strange games. Lots of perimeter shots but still lots of chances in both losses. Team is off to one of its best starts in years still so that's a positive. they really seem to play to the level of their competition though, which is strange. Lucic in particular seems to become a totally different player against the good teams like Washington and St Louis, but then the rest of the team looks like they don't take the crap teams like Ottawa and Toronto seriously, even though I thought they were the better team even in both losses. It's something they will need to fix to take that next step.

one of those teams is not like the other.

Absolutely hilarious how Oilers fans keep thinking Ottawa is a garbage team

[2014olympicgold]

I thought it was close to a hold if McDavid pumped his legs. Then I rewatched it (see the leafs thread) and if they called that a hold it was weak. When they were battling for the puck Kadri had it close enough. The picture shown, the frame after I bet Kadri doesn’t have his hand on McDavid. McDavid just didn’t move his legs and got beat thinking he could lean on Kadri.

[doulos]

I thought it was close to a hold if McDavid pumped his legs. Then I rewatched it (see the leafs thread) and if they called that a hold it was weak. When they were battling for the puck Kadri had it close enough. The picture shown, the frame after I bet Kadri doesn’t have his hand on McDavid. McDavid just didn’t move his legs and got beat thinking he could lean on Kadri.

Interesting. I thought it was as blatant as it can get. Oh well. Water under the bridge now. As I mentioned before the real point is that McDavid is only going to get more and more of that as his career goes on and he'll need to learn how to walk the line himself to be the best. As much as I hate that the league allows this stuff, it's been going on forever and when some of the greatest players of all time complain about it and nothing changes, you can be sure it never will.

Long road trip for the Oilers and should be a good indication by the end of November of whether their start is a total mirage or if they can be competing for a playoff spot late into the year.

I hope these two teams meet a few times in Stanley Cup Finals over the years.

[2014olympicgold]

Interesting. I thought it was as blatant as it can get. Oh well. Water under the bridge now. As I mentioned before the real point is that McDavid is only going to get more and more of that as his career goes on and he'll need to learn how to walk the line himself to be the best. As much as I hate that the league allows this stuff, it's been going on forever and when some of the greatest players of all time complain about it and nothing changes, you can be sure it never will.

Long road trip for the Oilers and should be a good indication by the end of November of whether their start is a total mirage or if they can be competing for a playoff spot late into the year.

I hope these two teams meet a few times in Stanley Cup Finals over the years.

If McDavid had pumped his legs, Kadri might have actually held on (not a swim move), and might have gotten the call.

All in all I think McDavid just had a brain cramp on not moving his legs. Might have just been gassed from a tough game getting leaned on and such. Legs might have just been burning.

[doulos]

If McDavid had pumped his legs, Kadri might have actually held on (not a swim move), and might have gotten the call.

All in all I think McDavid just had a brain cramp on not moving his legs. Might have just been gassed from a tough game getting leaned on and such. Legs might have just been burning.

Could be true for sure. You're absolutely right that you need to be moving your legs to force the refs to make the call.

[Axeman33]

McLellan shuffling the lines.

https://www.nhl.com/oilers/news/mcle...le/c-283416304

Oilers Head Coach Todd McLellan took to shuffling up the forward lines a bit on Friday following the team's 5-3 loss to the Rangers in New York last night.

McLellan swapped Milan Lucic and Patrick Maroon on the left side, while elevating Jesse Puljujarvi on the right. Maroon was back with Connor McDavid and Jordan Eberle. Lucic was with Leon Draisaitl and Zack Kassian. Benoit Pouliot and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins were matched with Puljujarvi. The fourth line remained intact.

"Up front, we're looking at shuffling some things around," said McLellan. "Connor's line is in on a lot of offensive chances but they've been giving up a lot. The other two lines give the ability to find a way to score a little bit more and take the pressure off our goaltender and the back end."

McLellan says the defensive pairings may not change much. Judging by practice, we could see Eric Gryba make his return on the third pair tomorrow against the Islanders.

"The defence pairings aren't going to change a whole lot," McLellan said. "We'll move guys in and around the lineup. The six or the seven of them have done quite a good job for the most part, I think. We've made a lot of progress in that area.

"It's up front where we've been hit or miss with different lines on different nights. One line is clicking and two others aren't. Perhaps the most consistent threesome has been our fourth line of (Tyler) Pitlick, (Anton) Lander and (Mark) Letestu. They seem to give us a good game every night in the minutes they're given."