[bodsbods9090]

No, it's not. This narrative is silly, lazy, and I am certainly hoping it is not what the management staff is seeing. We are 5th best in chances against according to NST, and are 2nd best in the league according to CSA. These numbers are real, not the eye-test, and show this is an elite defensive team. Get them a goalie that can save more than the bare minimum and watch them fly.

Yup, Skinner does not help by putting the team down a goal or two before the game has a chance to get going.

 

[IanO]

Skinner is an above average goalie who we expect to be better (and should), with a below average D-zone play that continues to see far too many turnovers, missed outs and lazy play in the corners and an offensive the should score us out of more games when this happens, period.

We have the 4th lowest GA in the top 10, but are 7th when it comes to GF.

I'd argue that more losses are a result of overall poor D zone play, not goaltending overall (but do need that KEY save) and simply not enough scoring. This team should be leading the league in GF by a significant margin or at the very least be top 2... but we are 24 behind Winnipeg and 12 behind Washington.

Look at the Leafs game from Saturday. Woll was very good, but realistically we should have had 3-4 more goals and 1 less as we let Marner walk through our entire team.

 

[erudyk_29]

There is a precedent of hockey to "never blame the goalie", which is good to have in the locker room since you don't want to get in the guy's head. However, as fans we can recognize and see when the issue is goaltending and it certainly is for the Oilers. Statistically the Oilers defense is among the best in the league. Every goal that is scored has a mistake somewhere, and on every goal against there is probably some play a defenseman could have made to prevent a goal. You can't expect your defense to be perfect, the goalie's job is to stop the puck. Obviously not every goal is the goalie's fault, a cross crease one-timer is not expected to be stopped most of the time, but Skinner lets in more than he should.

He has solid numbers and has been fine for most of the year, but he's been letting them down early in games recently. Forcing the team to come back from a couple goals down. He generally struggles to start games and his glove is not good. He frequently gets beat glove side high on shots he can see and track easily.

 

[IanO]

The much bigger issues on our team is another top 4 shutdown guy, secondary scoring (looking at you Hyman/Nuge) and...

 

[Dubas]

Skinner is an above average goalie who we expect to be better (and should), with a below average D-zone play that continues to see far too many turnovers, missed outs and lazy play in the corners and an offensive the should score us out of more games when this happens, period.

We have the 4th lowest GA in the top 10, but are 7th when it comes to GF.

I'd argue that more losses are a result of overall poor D zone play, not goaltending overall (but do need that KEY save) and simply not enough scoring. This team should be leading the league in GF by a significant margin or at the very least be top 2... but we are 24 behind Winnipeg and 12 behind Washington.

Look at the Leafs game from Saturday. Woll was very good, but realistically we should have had 3-4 more goals and 1 less as we let Marner walk through our entire team.


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Nothing you said is remotely related to how incorrect your analysis is. This team's results over more than 50% of the season so far show they are one of the best defensive teams in the league. Both our zone play and our rush chances against show we have the ability to limit chances to an extreme degree. You bring up the Leafs game, which just proves my point and reduces your own. A simple stat about that game, the shots were 48-28 Edmonton. A more complex stat; the expected goals were 3.62 - 3.09, according to MoneyPuck. According to their data, the Oilers are also the third best expected goals team overall, at 55%, with our actual result being 53%. If anything, finishing is this team's issue, not defensive play, and goaltending has been below par all season. Skinner is 2-9-2 against the Top 10 teams in the league. That isn't a statistical anomaly, nor is it an advanced stat, it's just numbers.

I know we all have trauma from the Decade of Darkness and this team being a defensive nightmare, but it quite literally is not true anymore. That is why I called your argument lazy. This team is elite at limiting chances against, and other teams know it. But they also know when they do get their chances, we have a below average goalie between the pipes.

 

[erudyk_29]

Tbh, even though goaltending is a major issue, the biggest issue is and has been finishing since last year. The Oilers are consistently underscoring the chances they get, they aren't getting goalied every single game (though they do frequently get goalied, like last game against Toronto), they lack finishers. Which is why to me, the biggest hole they need to fill at the deadline is not a top 4 RD, but a winger who can finish. I do think that Jeff Skinner given the opportunity could be that player, but he's been buried on the 3rd and 4th line or scratched bc Knoblauch doesn't like him for some reason.

Bring in a Rickard Rakell type to fill out the top 6. Obviously adding a defense would be nice, ideally a top 4 two way RD, but the Oilers most persistent issue has been finishing.

 

[IanO]

^bingo.

^^why is it that we seem to 'get goalied' more than any other team in history? A few softies don't matter as much if you win 5-3... and while Skinner certainly needs to tighten things up and stop 0.5 more goals per game on average, our forward 'powerhouse' shouldn't be only getting 3 on 48... or 2 on 45, period... and yet 'we are statistically getting the best shooting chances'... blah blah blah.

This team should be running, gunning and going for 6-4 wins, 5-2s, 7-5s.

 

[erudyk_29]

It's taken a little while for him to get going but Matthew Savoie has been on fire lately for the Condors. An AHL All Star, looking great at both ends of the ice and very fast on a pretty bad Bakersfield team.

He's very close to NHL ready and should be an impact player upon his entry, whenever that happens. The Condors will most likely not make the playoffs, so expect him to be called up when the salary cap goes away come playoff time. Whether he will play or not is still unclear.

I'm very excited for this guy to make the jump. Don't rush it though.

 

[IanO]

^indeed and yes, get him a little time up here, but develop him properly and see him soar.

 

[Greenspace]

What's thoughts on getting another defenseman with $5.5m cap room, Kane on LTR? Kane actually coming back?

 

[IanO]

Need another stay at home D.

18 shots, 1 goal = getting goalied again?

Skinner looking SHARP!

 

[IanO]

Lucky to pull that one off.

What's the old adage, 'make hay'.... let's get some finish on those shots boys.

Also, that Ekholm hit was old-school amazing.

 

[erudyk_29]

I'm hearing more and more Marchand to the Oilers rumors.

Nothing concrete yet, but murmurs.

Personally, I'm not sure how I feel about it. Marchy has definitely slowed down in the last couple years. He's having a decent season, but I don't know how much he has left in the tank.

I also am not sure about team comp, who does he play with? I'm assuming you want him on one of the top 2 lines but I'm not sure how his skill set matches with either Connor or Leon.

In summary, idk what to think about this one.

 

[IanO]

Man the Oil are just 'managing' out there these days... and probably had two extra sausage deep dish each the night before, but being up 3-1 to Chicago and only winning 4-3 tells me that they are more cavalier than they should and that Chicago also has a lot of good, young, talent.

Can't wait to see Oil/Avs Friday.

 

[TAS]

Man the Oil are just 'managing' out there these days... and probably had two extra sausage deep dish each the night before, but being up 3-1 to Chicago and only winning 4-3 tells me that they are more cavalier than they should and that Chicago also has a lot of good, young, talent.

Can't wait to see Oil/Avs Friday.

If the Oil do finish first in Pacific, this is one of the likely first round playoff match ups.