I’ll say it right now, after watching that Oilers game last night, if this is the team that thinks it’s going to get out of a play-in series with the 12th ranked team in the Western Conference, they’re taking the piss. There’s no way! I’d be shocked if that performance would’ve been good enough to beat Pulju’s Karpat squad. Brutal!
That being said, I did think that there were a handful of Oilers who had decent games. Alex Chiasson and James Neal were good. Ethan Bear was great. Kailer Yamamoto had his moments. Even McDavid and Draisaitl were okay. Oh, and Koskinen was tight when he came in.
But I’ve got a few ideas as to how Edmonton could flip the switch on the Blackhawks. First, though, watch this sweet pump-up video from my friend @Oilersaccess on Instagram!
- UP THE BLOODY INTENSITY FFS!
How about we start with playing as if your season depends on it. Where was Zack Kassian all night? He’s one of the emotional sparkplugs on this team and he was NOWHERE to be found! Lay some bodies out if you’re not going to try to win the game! My Lord! A perfect example was how the Columbus Blue Jackets outplayed the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight. Their forecheckers were on the Leafs like flies to sh*t. The Oilers have to up the physicality and that starts with their big boys, most notably Mr. Kassian. Or else, what’s he really doing in the top-6?
See, here’s the thing. Chicago has NOBODY that will come back and get rough with Edmonton. Connor Murphy? Please. The dodgiest player they had was Andrew Shaw and he’s at home recovering from a concussion. And nobody’s saying you have to recreate the Broad Street Bullies, but you do need to leave some sort of lasting impression on the opposition.
- Leave RNH with McDavid and Kassian
This is more or less predicated on Kassian playing as he usually does because if he’s doing that, things open up a bit more for the Nuge and McDavid to work their magic. I don’t believe lowering the talent level of this line, at this time, would be a fruitful change. Keep Edmonton’s best out on the ice against Chicago’s best and let the rest of the soldiers battle it out.
As for Leon’s line, I could probably be convinced that Ennis isn’t the guy and that maybe Athanasiou could use a chance up there. I didn’t think either player had much chemistry with their linemates in that game.
- Play Smarter
TWO 2v1s during the first shift of the game is not the right way to establish yourself in a positive manner. The run and gun against Chicago is clearly not going to be the most efficient plan going forward. So let’s tighten up the britches and play smart safe team defense and work off the counter-attack where the speed and skill of the Oilers are most dangerous.
I’ve never coached hockey but I’m going to go out on a limb and say ‘giving Toews this much room might not work out in your favour’.#CallMeCrazy #Oilers #NotTheBestIdea pic.twitter.com/rbO7vAG1jb
— Lars Callieou (@ExtraLars) August 1, 2020
- Can We Get a Save?
Mr. Smith, I love that you have amazing playoff stats but if you notice your skaters are chasing the puck around you and possibly shirking their defensive responsibilities, as unfortunate as it is, you’re going to need to pick up the level of your game so it doesn’t get away from you like it did in the first period. Also, tight to the posts big guy!
Is it just me or can you also detect a real shift in how the Oilers play depending on if Koskinen is in net or Smith? I find that Mikko really brings a calming presence to the ice and Mike Smith sets a more controlled chaotic tone.
- Will the Real PK Please Stand Up!
Boy, that was NOT the penalty kill we’re accustomed to seeing, was it? Discombobulated is the Scrabble sponsored word of the day I’d use to describe Edmonton’s effort whilst down a man. They’ve got to do better to take their men in front of the net so as to remove the tip option but also make sure that those shots aren’t coming in from the outside.
To be honest, I kinda missed Gaetan Haas’ flying shot blocks at the blue line. I wonder if we see some speed injected into the lineup tomorrow? Not that Edmonton was so slow that they couldn’t compete, but specifically with Haas, he’s really fast, right-handed, tenacious as hell, and doesn’t know what a fly-by is… He also knows his role and accepts it. But who would you take out? Ennis since he got his bell rung? Athanasiou since he was a complete non-factor?
- Stay Out of the GD Penalty Box!
Pretty simple plan. Stop taking silly penalties. Chicago had just as many PP markers as Edmonton but if the Oilers had limited the Hawks’ power play opportunities, who knows? Maybe the final result would’ve been different.
Point is, either stay out of the box or improve the penalty kill…
Game Two
Honestly, I didn’t think Saad and Debrincat or even Kane were all that dangerous in game one. Edmonton can do this. Kubalik and Toews were left all alone all night and they took advantage. Surely the Oilers will clamp down on things like that.
As for the roster, I really think Coach Tippett has to go with Koskinen here. As fun as it was to watch a 10-goal hockey game, I would prefer a win and Koski offers a bit more safety. We contemplated some lineup shuffling but I’m not sure we’re at that point yet in the series.
The fact of the matter is, now the Oilers know. Now they know what they’re in for. By the looks of things, both teams were reading the press clippings. Chicago came out with a “f*ck that!” attitude and the Oilers couldn’t get their heads through the doors.
The pressure is on and I’ll say it every game until the Oilers are out of the playoffs. This Stanley Cup is theirs to lose. There’s nobody else to blame anymore and it’s time. Connor and Leon are five and six years into their careers respectively. The roster is as deep as it’s been since 2006, the coaching is good, the GM is good, the superstars are otherworldly… THIS IS A GOOD HOCKEY CLUB!
But I guess in the end, this team has to ask itself, “Do I really want it?” and if they do, then show the f*ck up. If not, let’s get the black aces out there for some experience. I’d love to see Philip Broberg and Evan Bouchard take some shifts as well as Tyler Benson, Ryan McLeod, and Cooper Marody.
