"It's time to get your balls on the crest of your jerseys": Edmonton ...
Published May 13, 2024 • Last updated 4 hours ago • 6 minute read
This in from former Edmonton Oilers Stanley-Cup champion player, Stanley Cup finalist coach and ex-general manager Craig MacTavish, his take (and one shared by other members of the Oilers Old Boys Club) that for the Oilers to beat the Vancouver Canucks, they’ll have to get rougher and tougher.
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On Oilers Now, MacTavish told host Bob Stauffer that the Oilers have time to correct their game but more intensity and ferocity is in order. “As maybe the best leader in the history of sports, Mark Messier, said to our group at one point, ‘It’s time to get your balls on the crest of your jerseys and go play the game.’ Message received Mark.
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“There really is nothing worse — or should not be worse — of a feeling for a player if you’re not involved in the game offensively or physically… We have far too many guys that at the end of the game take their jersey off and don’t really participate or contribute to the overall performance of the group — and that can’t happen. If you’re going to win, if you serious about winning, and want to win the Stanley Cup, you can’t be satisfied in that dressing room without being a contributor physically.
“Talking to Kevin Lowe today and Kelly Buchberger and Mark Lamb, the (Oilers) players looked like they were semi-surprised at how hard Vancouver players came at them early in the game. How can that happen? (Vancouver coach) Rick Tocchet was talking about being nastier, more physical, and it looked like we were just a little bit late to recognize the intensity… As Lamber said last night when we were watching the game, that you need to put out a line that is going change the momentum of the game through physical play but we don’t as of yet have that animal.”
McTavish said he hoped to see Sam Gagner and Sam Carrick get into the line-up. “Sam Gagner may score you a goal. He’s going to inspire the group through his effort.”
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Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has to bring a bit more, MacTavish said. “I’d love to see him go run that (Elias) Lindholm over. Right now Lindholm is outplaying RNH. I’d like to see RNH turn that around tomorrow. The other guy, Ryan McLeod, I mean, you have to get involved… The way I used to describe this as a coach is: being involved physically is a choice. You choose to, ‘Yeah, I’m going to get in there, I’m going to contribute physically.’ Or you choose not to. They got to start choosing to get more involved physically and soften up the opposition… The energy in the building when you run somebody over should be motivation enough to do it, but up until this point we’re on the coat tails of the stars too much.”
My take1. If talk radio is all about bringing the fire, MacTavish just hit a grand slam home run, raising points that are sure to trigger many hockey fans, both inside and outside Edmonton, as well as invoking such Cup-winning members of past Oilers greatness as Lowe, Lamb and Buchberger.
2. Some folks with short and/or selective memories sneer at the Oilers Old Boys Club now. It’s now strongly associated by some fans with leading the team in the Decade of Darkness, but from what I know of them, these are all fierce competitors and sharp hockey minds. They really do know a thing or two about winning.
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And what exactly is MacTavish saying that most Oilers fans weren’t thinking in the first period when Mattias Ekholm got clobbered twice on the same shift? When the team got out-hit, out-played and out-hustled as Vancouver built up a 3-1 lead in the first period?
It was clear that Vancouver came out ready to play in a way that Edmonton Oilers weren’t able to match.
3. If we go by MacTavish’s ideas around winning, the Oilers should play the guys who are helping the team create Grade A shots at even strength, be wary of the guys who make too many mistakes on Grade A shots against, and balance that off with a boost to the players who are hitting.
Would that work for you? It hits the spot for me.
The best at creating Grade A shots at even strength against Vancouver? Leon Draisaitl has the highest rate of major contributions to Grade A shots at even strength, followed by McDavid, Connor Brown, Ryan McLeod, Derek Ryan and Zach Hyman.
The lowest rate is Adam Henrique in his one game, then Kane, Foegele, Nugent-Hopkins, Dylan Holloway, Mattias Janmark, and Corey Perry.
The best at defence, with the lowest rate of mistakes shots: Ryan McLeod, Zach Hyman, Adam Henrique, Mattias Janmark all lead the way with a clean sheet at even strength in this series, not one major mistake on a Grade A shot against, with Nugent-Hopkins, Holloway and Kane next best.
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The leakiest forwards on defence have been, in order, Derek Ryan, McDavid, Perry, Draisaitl and Foegele.
When it comes to hitting, the most physical according to official hit stats, have been Holloway, then Kane, far ahead of the others, followed by Foegele, Ryan, Brown, McDavid, Janmark, Hyman, and RNH. The lowest are Draisaitl and Henrique, with not one hit, then McLeod, and Perry.
Based on this assessment the obvious choice to come out is Corey Perry who is in the low group for creating Grade A shots and hits and the high group for leaking Grade A shots.
Foegele is hitting enough, but he’s not creating much on the attack and is leaking too much on defence.
It seems like Edmonton should keep together its bottom line of Ryan, Brown and Janmark, ask much more out of the second line of under-achieving RNH and suddenly quiet Kane, and perhaps consider putting in Carrick and Gagner for Perry and Foegele, though Foegele is a valuable penalty killer, and I’d be loathe to take him out.
I still think a line of Holloway, McLeod and Foegele might get it done, as each of these players is fast, can make plays defend, and forecheck. Perry is slowing down the third line at this point. if this line were to hit Vancouver with dynamic speed, whirldwind checking and the odd big hit, while taking the puck hard to the net, that would be a line that will help Edmonton win.
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If you’re super keen to get more defence, Carrick could go in for Ryan, but I still prefer Ryan.
How about lines like these?
Draisaitl – McDavid – Hyman
Kane – RNH – Gagner
Holloway – McLeod – Foegele
Janmark – Ryan – Brown
As for the defence, it’s clear far more is needed when it comes to big hits, with Desharnais and Nurse leading the way.
I’d like to see Philip Broberg, a far more mobile defender, in for Ceci at this point. It’s not going to happen, but to beat the Vancouver and continue on, the Oilers need a much better second pairing. If they want to keep Ceci in the line-up, they can take out Desharnais. Kulak can’t be promoted to play with Nurse, with Broberg paired with either Desharnais or Ceci.
MacTavish told Stauffer he favours Skinner in net, but I’ll suggest that the Oilers need more saves even more than they need more hits.
More than anything else it’s time to go with Calvin Pickard, who played numerous solid games in the regular season.
Let me be blunt: Skinner is simply not making enough big saves right now, not even close. It’s killing the team’s chances. It’s time for a change in net.
Your take?
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