Oilers 2016-17 Season: the Rise of McSavior?

[Mr. Analog]

To win the first game of the series in the opposing team's barn is really something

Agreed... just lets hope its nothing like Series 1 against the Sharks!

Next game is gonna be tough I think, I also think this series is gonna go to Game 7

[Melbosa]

I predict a 4-0 or 5-1 series in favour of the Oil.

[Mr. Analog]

I predict a 4-0 or 5-1 series in favour of the Oil.

I think that's optimistic, but hey anything can happen in playoffs!

[Melbosa]

I predict a 4-0 or 5-1 series in favour of the Oil.

I think that's optimistic, but hey anything can happen in playoffs!

Hey predictions and being right don't go hand in hand

[Thorin]

@%&# yeah, that was a good game.  McDavid's being shadowed so tight that if he leaves the defensive zone his shadow goes with him and it becomes, effectively, 4 on 4.  Nuge and his linemates are standing tall against all comers, working hard in their own end and then getting great chances in the offensive end.  Then, the Oil get goals from their fourth-line center and their "defensive defenseman", who isn't supposed to be a goal scorer.  Meanwhile, Draisaitl apparently was ill (flu or something?) and is now back to prime playing form (and got points on four of the five goals!).

I think the Ducks are gonna play dirty, Getzlaf is gonna do everything the refs let him get away with plus a few more things, especially when their backs are turned.  The Oilers will probably see at least one of their top-six forwards or top-four defensemen injured at some point.

I think it'll go six games if the refs blow the whistle more (with the Oil winning the series 4-2), seven if they blow the whistle less (with it being a toss-up which team wins the series).

I predict a 4-0 or 5-1 series in favour of the Oil.

I don't think we'll ever see five games won in a best-of-seven series...

[Thorin]

A key point for me was the defensive responsibility in the empty net goal.  I know, why am I talking about defensive responsibility with that, right?  Well, most players see the empty net and just shoot it from far away to try and get the goal.  But Lucic and Draisaitl both realized if they missed, it would be icing, and there would be a faceoff in their own end, plus for quite a bit of the skate up-ice with the puck there was a Ducks defenseman doing a really good job being in the scoring lane, so if they shot it and he intercepted it and quickly passed, there'd probably be a sudden 5 on 3.  So instead of jumping on the possibility of a playoff goal to add to their tally, they kept carrying the puck up ice and passing east-west (less likely to be intercepted) until the lane was clear and there was no danger of icing.

Sure, the score was great and I'm glad they won the first game.  Moreso, though, I'm glad the team seems to have learned to not jump like an excited puppy on a chance to score a goal, but that the players actually think about what their missed shot might cost the team.  That, right there, is a really important lesson for the next ten years.

[Melbosa]

I predict a 4-0 or 5-1 series in favour of the Oil.

I don't think we'll ever see five games won in a best-of-seven series...

Sorry, I hope everyone knew what I meant: 4-1

[Melbosa]

@%&# yeah, that was a good game.  McDavid's being shadowed so tight that if he leaves the defensive zone his shadow goes with him and it becomes, effectively, 4 on 4.  Nuge and his linemates are standing tall against all comers, working hard in their own end and then getting great chances in the offensive end.  Then, the Oil get goals from their fourth-line center and their "defensive defenseman", who isn't supposed to be a goal scorer.  Meanwhile, Draisaitl apparently was ill (flu or something?) and is now back to prime playing form (and got points on four of the five goals!).

My thoughts on the McDavid situation is I hope he keeps his head.  Kessel is one of those guys I'm glad is basically babysitting McDavid because he can be a dangerous play maker in his own right if he is left alone.  If McDavid can also hang around a D as well (like Gretz used to when other teams would pull this on him), that widens it up even more almost creates a 4-3 situation if the D is essentially shadowed by McDavid (and Kessel sticks to his shadowing).  But like I said, as long as McDavid just plays the game & small opportunities in front of him and stays out of the mind game of frustration that the shadow creates, I'm OK with the rest of the team making the goals, making the plays, creating the wins.  Sure the Oiler's star is effectively hindered, but it will take more than McDavid to make a Stanley run (as we have seen through 7 games so far).

And Draisaitl I think is still fighting a bit of the cold... his post game interview was still sniffles and coughs.  So if he is still on the tail end of that cold, imagine what is to come if its almost over.

[Thorin]

That's actually a good idea - if you're being shadowed, then shadow one of theirs and now two of 'em are tied up with just one of you.

[Thorin]

Well now, how about them Oilers? The Ducks played less dirty than game one, the Oilers more than game one, and Talbot decides to steal the game anyway.

The next two homegames will be awesome. I can't believe in a week they might be resting up for the Western Conference Finals...

[Darren Dirt]

I missed Wed and Fri so really hope they lose one game so I can sit at Rogers for the series winner

[Mr. Analog]

I'm just floored by their performance. Lookkin forward to tomorrow's game

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[Thorin]

I know I'm getting ahead of myself, but it's entirely possible right now for an all-Canadian Stanley Cup Final series.  Ottawa's playing well, their second game they managed to come back from a two-goal deficit twice to win it 6-5 in the second overtime.  Pageau was the scoring star there, he took four shots on net and all four of them went in!

Although after watching the Pittsburgh-Washington game yesterday, I gotta say Pittsburgh is playing fantastic and their players all click really well together.  I honestly think Pittsburgh will find a way to beat Ottawa in the Eastern Conference finals.

[Mr. Analog]

According to dad the Oilers have something like three to one odds of making it to the final

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[Melbosa]

While I may not be an Ebs basher, I can't say I disagree with some of the assessments of his play as of late: http://edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/nhl/cult-of-hockey/edmonton-oilers-coach-todd-mclellan-furious-at-jordan-eberle-says-team-insider.  It may be that we expect so much out of him and Nuuuuuug and give guys like Lucic a break because he is new, but it is frustrating to not see production of out the likes of Ebs offensively, and sometimes a lack of physical play defensively.

Feel free to rip me on this, as while I will always be an Oil fan, in honesty during regular season play I pay more attention to the Jets than Oil, so you guys might know better than me of what the Oil expect out of Ebs.  As a fan watching this team in the play-offs though I say again, I able a bit concerned at his level of production.