The Edmonton Oilers/All Things McDavid

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Fri Feb 17, 2017 3:10 pm

And Burns is 5 points back?!?!?!?!?

Looking forward to seeing Connor in person next Tuesday night.

bapo! · Post by **bapo!** » Fri Feb 17, 2017 3:16 pm

Yeah, Brent Burns is Bobby Orr all of a sudden. Have fun at the game, ched.

bapo! · Post by **bapo!** » Fri Feb 17, 2017 3:26 pm

While we're on the topic of Brent Burns, this is worth revisiting: Burns and Bobby Ryan getting hit by the puck a second apart and having the exact same NSFW reaction.

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Fri Feb 17, 2017 3:44 pm

Yes! Love that clip.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Fri Feb 17, 2017 4:39 pm

bapo! wrote:
sancarlos wrote:
bapo! wrote:so Edmonton and San Jose are tied atop their division.
How quickly things can change!
Go ahead and trash-talk, but I'm still more concerned with 9th place than 1st place. And Edmonton is still 10 points clear of 9th place. I'm starting to look forward to the playoffs a little bit. (Where I expect Edmonton to get smoked in the first round, a la Pittsburgh/Ottawa in 2007.)

McDavid is still leading the league in scoring, and Crosby is still right there behind him.

Brandon Manning is still clearly public enemy #1 among in Edmonton. Real chippy game last night and Manning was a target all game long.

I read the other day that McDavid has points in nearly a third of Edmonton's goals, a few percentage points higher than is the case for any other player in the league. No wonder they don't like the guy who injured him.

In a way, I wouldn't mind if Edmonton (or the Ducks) passed my Sharks in the standings. Because I wouldn't want to play a hot Kings or Blues team in the first round.

bapo! · Post by **bapo!** » Fri Feb 17, 2017 4:47 pm

sancarlos wrote:In a way, I wouldn't mind if Edmonton (or the Ducks) passed my Sharks in the standings. Because I wouldn't want to play a hot Kings or Blues team in the first round.

A lot needs to be sorted out before then. We still have the trade deadline to deal with. Your Sharks could end up losing to a Blues team backstopped by Marc-Andre Fleury.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Fri Feb 17, 2017 4:50 pm

Trading for MAF would be the surest way to get Allen/Hutton ready for a nice playoff run.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Fri Feb 17, 2017 5:54 pm

bapo! wrote:Yeah, Brent Burns is Bobby Orr all of a sudden. Have fun at the game, ched.

And, Burns has no fucks to give!

bapo! · Post by **bapo!** » Wed Mar 01, 2017 11:06 am

The expansion draft rears its ugly head. The Oilers traded defenseman Brandon Davidson to Montreal for David Desharnais last night. Oilers fans hate the trade, but they were probably going to lose Davidson this summer anyway.

I really liked Desharnais a few years ago, but it looks like he's really fallen off. Only 10 points in 31 games this year, playing about 13 minutes per game.

Reading that Eberle might be moved today. That would certainly signal the end of an era.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Wed Mar 01, 2017 11:14 am

There seems to be a lot of bad logic heading into the expansion draft, I assume just on twitter and not inside real front offices, but the Edmonton deal is weird. If you think Davidson would get picked in expansion, isn't that still more valuable in terms of protecting everyone else than Desharnais?

bapo! · Post by **bapo!** » Wed Mar 01, 2017 11:27 am

Maybe now they'll lose somebody a little more expendable than Davidson, and they still get a little value for him. I'm sure they have their list of protected players already set, and they like the next guy just a little less than Davidson. I don't like it, but I can understand it.

I would rather they had kept him thru the end of the season, tho. Even as a 7th defenseman, he would be valuable in the playoffs.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Wed Mar 01, 2017 11:30 am

The things I read indicated that depth in the bottom six was desired more than a 7th defenseman. Even though overall Davidson is probably a better player than Desharnais, nowadays. And since either would likely be lost in the offseason, that part doesn't factor in.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Wed Mar 01, 2017 11:30 am

I don't know who their next riskiest guy was, but him plus Davidson for Desharnais seems like a far worse deal than Davidson for no one.

bapo! · Post by **bapo!** » Wed Mar 01, 2017 11:35 am

mister d wrote:I don't know who their next riskiest guy was, but him plus Davidson for Desharnais seems like a far worse deal than Davidson for no one.

That's logical. But going back to what sancarlos said, maybe they just see something in Desharnais that they like. This could work out for them.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Wed Mar 01, 2017 11:42 am

Guys who are good then bad will always be treated with optimism and guys who were bad then good will always be treated with skepticism. Desharnais probably is just as bad as he looks now.

bapo! · Post by **bapo!** » Sun Mar 12, 2017 12:38 pm

Calgary keeps winning (9 in a row!), and they've moved ahead of Edmonton. So has Anaheim. The Oilers have fallen back to a wild-card spot, 7 points clear of the Kings. I'm starting to sweat a little bit.

They need to string some wins together. Tonight vs. Montreal would be a good place to start. This is the 4th of an 8-game home stand. Let's get some runs!

ETA: McDavid has factored into 39.5% of Edmonton's goals this season. This team would not be anywhere near the playoffs without him.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Sun Mar 12, 2017 9:11 pm

Nice collapse

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 12:05 am

degenerasian wrote:Nice collapse

Oil is reeling. They were in first place in the division less than a page ago. Now they are in danger of missing the playoffs.

bapo! · Post by **bapo!** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 10:09 am

I used to be able to post Oilers stuff rather anonymously. Now I'm catching heat from sancarlos and degen. That's a sign of success, I think.

I'm not panicking!

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 10:37 am

Ha ha. Don't get me wrong, Bapo! I'm a fan of McDavid and McLellan. I want them to make the playoffs. Especially if it keeps L.A. out.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 10:47 am

Not me. Oilers not making the playoffs for 10 years straight would be sweet.

bapo! · Post by **bapo!** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 10:58 am

They're 2-4-1 in their last 7 games, but they're still okay. And 3 of their remaining 14 games are against the Kings, so they'll have a chance to take care of business.

Degen, there's still a very good chance that Calgary and Edmonton play each other in the first round. I really want this to happen, if only to watch your mood swings thru a (hopefully long, tough) series.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 11:40 am

Definitely. NHL wants these matchups as they went back to division playoff format. Flames and Oilers haven't met in the playoffs since 1991. Toronto moved into the Eastern Conference in 1998 and haven't played Montreal. Both could happen this year.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 1:12 pm

degenerasian wrote:Definitely. NHL wants these matchups as they went back to division playoff format. Flames and Oilers haven't met in the playoffs since 1991. Toronto moved into the Eastern Conference in 1998 and haven't played Montreal. Both could happen this year.

I keep wanting to see Anaheim vs. Los Angeles. They've never played a playoff series against each other.

bapo! · Post by **bapo!** » Tue Mar 21, 2017 10:06 am

Reports of the Oilers' demise have been greatly exaggerated. They've won 4 in a row. Talbot has 2 straight shut-outs. They beat the Kings last night and are now 12 points clear of 9th place, with 10 games remaining. I'm feeling okay.

Now I guess the big drama is who wins the scoring title and who wins the Hart Trophy. Looks like McDavid or Crosby, right? McDavid is still leading the league in scoring, with Crosby, Marchand, and Kane 2 or 3 points back.

The Hart Trophy will come down to whatever criteria the voters decide to use. (The Oilers would not be a good team without McDavid, but Crosby is still the best player in the league.) They're both deserving. Can't they share it? Doesn't everybody get a trophy these days anyway?

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Tue Mar 21, 2017 10:52 am

bapo! wrote:Reports of the Oilers' demise have been greatly exaggerated. They've won 4 in a row. Talbot has 2 straight shut-outs. They beat the Kings last night and are now 12 points clear of 9th place, with 10 games remaining. I'm feeling okay.

Now I guess the big drama is who wins the scoring title and who wins the Hart Trophy. Looks like McDavid or Crosby, right? McDavid is still leading the league in scoring, with Crosby, Marchand, and Kane 2 or 3 points back.

The Hart Trophy will come down to whatever criteria the voters decide to use. (The Oilers would not be a good team without McDavid, but Crosby is still the best player in the league.) They're both deserving. Can't they share it? Doesn't everybody get a trophy these days anyway?

I'd argue that McDavid is more important to Edmonton than Crosby is to Pittsburgh. So, there's my vote, fwiw.

Really glad to see the Kings falling from the playoff race. My least favorite team. So, the last two weeks will be interesting for playoff matchup positioning.

bapo! · Post by **bapo!** » Tue Mar 21, 2017 11:13 am

I'd argue that McDavid is more important to Edmonton than Crosby is to Pittsburgh. So, there's my vote, fwiw.

Yeah, but that would punish Crosby for having better teammates. Pittsburgh would still be good without Crosby, but he's still bigly important to that team. Like I said, it's going to come down to voter's discretion. The fact that Crosby has only won two Harts might factor into it. And that McDavid is still only 20, so he'll supposedly have more chances to win in the future. I'll be fine either way. As long as Corey Perry doesn't win again.

Really glad to see the Kings falling from the playoff race. My least favorite team. So, the last two weeks will be interesting for playoff matchup positioning.

Yep. The Sharks are still in first place, a few points ahead. Edmonton, Anaheim, and Calgary are virtually tied. Really rooting for an Edmonton/Calgary first-round series now.

In the East, the Metro division is a tangled mess, too, with Washington, Columbus, and Pittsburgh just about tied. This is getting fun. I love this time of the year.

MaxWebster · Post by **MaxWebster** » Wed Mar 22, 2017 7:09 pm

hello sports fans!

that whole "most important to their team" phrase is complete rubbish; you can apply it to too many players. e.g. take Jack Eichel off the Sabres and they would have ended up worse than the Avalanche this year. He's not the MVP. As much as i love Connor, the MVP is Crosby (hms to Karlsson, Burns, and that ass-stain up in massachusetts).

MaxWebster · Post by **MaxWebster** » Wed Mar 22, 2017 7:10 pm

as is and always has been, everyone should just listen to bapo!.

bapo! wrote:
I'd argue that McDavid is more important to Edmonton than Crosby is to Pittsburgh. So, there's my vote, fwiw.
Yeah, but that would punish Crosby for having better teammates. Pittsburgh would still be good without Crosby, but he's still bigly important to that team. Like I said, it's going to come down to voter's discretion. The fact that Crosby has only won two Harts might factor into it. And that McDavid is still only 20, so he'll supposedly have more chances to win in the future. I'll be fine either way. As long as Corey Perry doesn't win again.

bapo! · Post by **bapo!** » Wed Mar 22, 2017 9:50 pm

It's about damn time I get some back-up in this thread.

The Oilers and Ducks are tied at the end of the first period. McDavid already has a goal and an assist. Keep racking up those points.

bapo! · Post by **bapo!** » Thu Mar 23, 2017 11:02 pm

I was afraid that the Oilers were going to lose to the lowly Avs tonight, but then they scored 5 goals in the 3rd period. (That includes a couple of empty-netters.)

Cam Talbot was pulled early for the second night in a row. That's worrisome, but entirely predictable. The Oil have been riding him hard all season. I would hate for him to hit a wall on the eve of the playoffs, but maybe next year they'll invest in a back-up goalie.

Scoring update: McDavid is 6 points up on Crosby and Kane, 7 points up on Marchand.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Thu Mar 23, 2017 11:17 pm

bapo! wrote:I was afraid that the Oilers were going to lose to the lowly Avs tonight, but then they scored 5 goals in the 3rd period. (That includes a couple of empty-netters.)

Funny. Back in November I was at my brother's place in Denver for Thanksgiving and we saw the Avs host the Oil. Halfway through that game it was 3-2 for Colorado. Final score 6-3 for Edmonton.

bapo! · Post by **bapo!** » Thu Mar 23, 2017 11:23 pm

sancarlos wrote:
bapo! wrote:I was afraid that the Oilers were going to lose to the lowly Avs tonight, but then they scored 5 goals in the 3rd period. (That includes a couple of empty-netters.)
Funny. Back in November I was at my brother's place in Denver for Thanksgiving and we saw the Avs host the Oil. Halfway through that game it was 3-2 for Colorado. Final score 6-3 for Edmonton.

I've seen comments here and there about how bad of a third-period team Colorado is. And it's not like the Avs are a great first- or second-period team. They're a mess.

And Edmonton gets to play them again on Saturday.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Thu Mar 23, 2017 11:27 pm

The Avalanche have horrible defensemen. And, mediocre goaltending. They actually have two good lines up front, but you'd never know.

bapo! · Post by **bapo!** » Thu Mar 23, 2017 11:34 pm

sancarlos wrote:The Avalanche have horrible defensemen. And, mediocre goaltending. They actually have two good lines up front, but you'd never know.

Yeah, a team with MacKinnon, Duchene, and Landeskog should not be historically bad.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Fri Mar 24, 2017 7:40 am

sancarlos wrote:The Avalanche have horrible defensemen. And, mediocre goaltending. They actually have two good lines up front, but you'd never know.

I'd still love to take Barrie and see how he'd work in a better system with a responsible partner named Ryan.

bapo! · Post by **bapo!** » Sat Mar 25, 2017 10:22 pm

I knew that Leon Draisatl was having a good season, but I didn't realize that he was in the top 10 in the league in scoring. (Playing on a line with McDavid probably helps.) Still only 21 years old, and playing out of position.

The Sharks lost their 6th straight tonight. ('Nice collapse' -- degen, probably.) If the Oilers win tonight, there will be a 3-way tie for first place, with Calgary not far behind. Sports!

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Sun Mar 26, 2017 2:46 am

Yeah the Sharks are reeling. ACK!

bapo! · Post by **bapo!** » Sun Mar 26, 2017 9:15 am

The Sharks are smart enough to know that nothing before mid-April matters all that much. But still, this isn't the greatest time to hit a slump. How have they looked, sancarlos? Is there anything wrong with the team now, or do you expect them to be okay?

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Sun Mar 26, 2017 1:22 pm

They don't seem intense and responsible on defense. Cruising into the playoffs maybe, but they need to turn it back on, soon!