Pre-Game Report: Edmonton Oilers vs Dallas Stars

Pre-Game Report: Edmonton Oilers vs Dallas Stars

Hello Oilers fans. Austin here with the pregame report between the Mton Oilers and the Dallas Stars. Now, I also discovered an amazing life hack last night where if you’re struggling to fall asleep, do you find yourself tossing and turning most nights? Well, all you have to do is put on an Oilers game in the background from this season and you’ll fall asleep in no time. Yes, the Oilers are playing boring, abysmal, really hard to watch hockey right now. And they’re also not winning, so it makes it even less fun to watch. The way they play is supposed to nullify and prevent a lot of high danger chances against, but they are still giving up a decent amount of high danger chances every single night. And their goalenders can’t seem to make a save either. Uh there is big problems on the team right now. And if they do not pull their heads out of their asses right now going into the rest of November here, uh there’s going to be big problems this season. I don’t want to sound doomy and gloomy in in a pregame report, but I’m just being completely honest. The more I reflect on this team, the more I talk about them, the more I watch them, the more I realize, uh oh, this team might not actually be good, but they can do a lot to kind of mitigate those feelings. Now, it is the second half of a backtoback, so I don’t expect them to get a win tonight. But if they do find a way to get a win against their former power play coach and assistant coach, Glenn Gulletson, who’s now the coach of the Dallas Stars, if they do manage to get a win tonight, we can start to feel good for a couple days before they play Colorado on Saturday. Yes, the Oilers will be off for 3 days after this game. So, whatever this team has in the tank, I want to see them empty it. And I want to see some emotion on the ice. And I’m not talking about fighting. I just want to see emotion. I want to see guys mad. I want to see them frustrated. You know how many times players are giving up a puck, it goes into the back of their net, and they all just kind of go, “Eh.” They just kind of shrug their shoulders and they just go to the bench like they don’t care. I want to see some care tonight in this team because as a fan, I care. And all of you watching at home, you all care, too. If you didn’t care, we wouldn’t be watching all these games all the time. You wouldn’t be tuning into my channel all the time either. So, thank you for that. Make sure to hit the like button as we go over the lineups, stats, uh, keys to the game, players to watch, and of course, my score prediction where my score predictions have been awful. Every time I pick the team to win, they lose. Every time I pick the team to lose, they win. I don’t know what to say, man. Uh, this team is a strange team this season. And, uh, let’s get into the projected lineups. I cannot foresee too many changes in tonight’s lineup. Last night they ran with Nan Hopkins, McDavid and Mjapani on the top line. Mjapani had a goal that was good to see. But Kohl’s dry settle with Rosik. Rosik scored another power play goal for the Oilers. He is now the netfront presence in place of David Tomasekk who has not played the last couple of games and may not get in tonight although they may put him in for Lazar or Phelp who knows. On the third line you have Seavoy with Henrik and Trent Frederick. And Trent Frederick right now he has one point. one single point in 14 games played. This is an abysmal year for Trent Frederick so far. He doesn’t look comfortable in any situation that he’s put in. And uh with with Trent Frederick, too, he’s not doing anything offensively, but he’s also not really doing anything terribly defensively. He’s just there. He is a cardio merchant. He reminds me of a Matias Yanmark of years past where they’re on the ice a lot and you don’t really notice them doing horrible things, but you don’t notice them doing any good things. They are basically just eating ice time away from players like Seavoy and Howard and Phelp who seem to be averaging about 7 to nine minutes a night these days. Ike Howard last night played seven minutes. Phil played seven and a half. Matthew Seavoy I think played I think 9 and a half or 10 minutes or something like the kids are not being played right now. And for Chris Knobblock, this is a coach that was overseeing for for a little bit the development of Dylan Holloway. Uh we saw Dylan Holloway get very limited ice time when he finally was given a chance to play next to highskilled players like Leon Dryidle in the playoffs two years ago. Dylan Holloway played very very well and then the team did not sign him. They did not match the offer sheet that St. Louis gave him. Holloway went off and he’s doing his thing and having success in St. Louis. Phil Broberg having success in St. Louis. Uh Ryan Mloud having success in Buffalo. These young players that are trying to find their way right now. Why is Howard on the fourth line? Why is Seavoy on the third line playing next to Henrique and Trent Frederick? For goodness sakes, if you want your young players to develop and blossom and have confidence and produce points, this team needs point production right now. Uh they need goal scoring. They need a lot of energy. Kids provide energy, but they make one mistake and they don’t get to play anymore. And then you guys and then and then you have your vets. Dry Cidle had about 20 giveaways last night. He gets regular shifts all the time. Uh Buchard, he’s had a just a horrible season this year. He gets regular shifts. Darnell Nurse has had a pretty bad season, too. He gets regular shifts, although he was benched once. Matias Echome has had an abysmal season. He gets regular shifts. But when the younger guys make a mistake, they don’t get to play anymore. When the team’s defending a two, you’re up two nothing and then you shorten the bench. What is that all about? Chris Knoblock has It’s a pregame report. I’m not going to be negative yet. I’m not going to be negative yet. This, you can tell I’m still kind of I’m still kind of feeling it from last night. Uh on defense, you have Ekholm with Bouch, Nurse with Wman, Koulak with Emerson, Troy Stetra as the extra D man, Steuart Skinner gets the start tonight. And we’re not asking for a lot from Stu. All I’m asking for is a 900 save percentage. Well, why am I asking for just a 900 save percentage? Because look at the stat right below my uh webcam box. The Oilers are 4-0 this season when they get a save percentage of 900 or better. And they’ve only had that four times. They played 14 games. Their team save percentage in those games is awful. Awful. They rank bottom half of the league, bottom five in the league in team save percentage. When they get a 900 save percentage, they are 4-0. It should not be hard to ask for a 900 save percentage in today’s NHL. Find a way. I don’t care how you do it. Find a way. Make some saves. Calvin Pickard has not been giving the team saves. Steuart Skinner, he’s had a a bit of an up and down season, but Skinner has not been a problem this season the way he has in in in years past. Stu is doing what he can, but Stu is what he is, right? What we’re getting from Stuart Skinner, I would expect from a team’s backup. And what we’re getting from Calvin Pickard is so bad, I don’t even know if he would properly be a starter in the ECHL right now. I’m sorry. It’s going to sound really harsh. And and Calvin Pickard fans, I apologize for saying something like that, but it’s true. What we’re seeing from Stu is backup style numbers and what we’re seeing from Pickard who is the backup is so bad that he’s to me he’s unplayable. He is 100% unplayable right now in my opinion. At least Stu gets the start. We’ll give the team a chance to win tonight. Dallas, they are 63 and three on the season. Their power play ranks third. Penalty kill ranks 25th. Goals per game ranks 26th. Goals against per game ranks 14th. Expected goals forward percentage at five on five ranks 24th. The Dallas Stars are not a good possession team. And Glenn Gullson uh has not had this team playing as good as I think um you know the brass in Dallas was hoping for. They fired Pete Dbor. They hired Glenn Gullson and Glenn Gullson I think he’s a good power play co coach, good special teams coach, good at working with forwards, but as a head coach um hasn’t gotten off to the start that they wanted. Dallas is decent special teams at least on the power play, but five on five right now a lot to be desired. Not a lot of offense at five on five either. Uh they’re getting outshot most nights too. Their shot score percentage ranks 28th in the league, but their team save percentage ranks sixth, 92.75%, a 927 save percentage from their goalenders, mostly uh Jakeer, who when he’s in the crease is giving his team a chance to win. Dallas has six wins this season, mostly because of Jay Oddinger. Mostly they do have really good players on their team though, and it is only a matter of time before Dallas does turn their season around. for the Oilers going into Dallas. This is usually a scheduled loss, especially on the second half of a backto-back. Power play for Edmonton ranks first in the league, 35.1%. Your penalty kill ranks 17th. Goals per game rank 17th. Goals against per game rank 17th. Look at that. We are just middle of the road in every statistical category. Expected goals for percentage ranks 20th. Shots for percentage ranks seventh. And team say percentage at five on five ranks 25th. 897 or 89.75%. You let me know if that’s acceptable. I want you all to let me know if that is an acceptable number for team save percentage. Keys to the game. Holy smokes. The Edmonton Oilers. I literally don’t even care. Just win a hockey game and make it fun to watch. That is the key to the game. Make hockey fun to watch again. That that is all I’m asking for. I just want to have fun watching this team. If you lose 7 to six in overtime and it’s fun to watch, I’m not going to complain. If you lose one nothing and it’s fun to watch, I’m not going to complain. But right now, the team is not fun to watch and they’re not winning hockey games. I want a team that is fun to watch again. I miss when the Oilers were fun. I miss when Conor McDavid was doing things that nobody else can do. I miss when Duttto was doing things that nobody else can do. I miss when the team had emotion, when they had a pep in their step, when they were more physical. They’d get after it after whistles. They’d get into scrums. We don’t see any of that anymore. This is this is a boring team. And I think the players also feel that too. You can see it on the bench. You can see it on the ice. They look bored. They look like they’re not having fun. Where is the fun? Hockeyy’s supposed to be fun. When you’re playing the games, that’s supposed to be fun. Practice is not supposed to be fun. Playing the games is supposed to be fun. That’s my philosophy at least. Dallas Stars, your key to the game tonight is throw pucks on net equals easy win. You just don’t know what is going to beat and know whether it’s goalender or what rebound they’re going to give up. literally throw everything on net for Dallas and uh they have a good chance of winning. My players to watch, Jack Rosik for the Edmonton Oilers. He has goals in consecutive games on the power play and he has been one of the only players that to me is quote unquote fun to watch right now. And Wyatt Johnston for the Dallas Stars is my player watch for Dallas. Now, here’s my score prediction, folks. Here’s how I think it’s going to go down. I think this is going to be very, very accurate. All right, I think it’s going to be 6-2 Dallas and Evan Bousard is going to get blamed by the media for Stew’s upcoming 835 save percentage. That is my score prediction. That is my prediction for the game. Steu is going to have a stinker and Evan Bousard will get blamed for every single goal against because that’s what’s been happening lately. Not saying that Bard has been good. He hasn’t. He has not been good this season, but I am sick and tired of how fast how fast the media will jump on certain players and ignore everyone else. Doesn’t matter how long certain guys have been here, right? As soon as there’s like that one player type that’s the easiest to pick on because everyone else does it. Fans at home pick on these players and a lot of Voilers fans that have been around for a long time. You can attest to the fact that guys like Paul Coffee were also picked on when they played for Edmonton. The offensive puck moving defenseman is the one player type that I think fans have no idea how to properly evaluate or no idea what they’re watching when they see them. And the media plays into that. media is complicit in how certain players get treated on this team. And you can agree with me or not. If you think Evan Buchard should be traded, that’s fine. You’re wrong and you will be wrong if you think that, but you’re allowed to think that. And for him media that continues to push this narrative at against certain players. We’ve seen it time and time again in oil country, especially when it comes to younger, more skilled players. They don’t go after the gritty guys. They don’t go after the Darnell Nurses. They don’t go after the Trent Frederick’s. they don’t go after these guys. But if you’re kind of if you’re younger or, you know, maybe not from Canada or if you’re an offensive defenseman, you will get picked on even if it’s not your fault. Even if maybe one of the goals against was your fault, that’s who they pick on. I watch the postgame fan re or not fan reactions. I watch postgame podcasts from Buther’s media and it’s it’s embarrassing, frankly, how they talk about certain players. I’m hard on players, but I also acknowledge that this is a team and and system issue and potentially even a coaching issue with Chris Knobblock. The media likes their clicks. They generate their clicks. They they get the ad revenue. We’re so happy for them. So, oh, Legacy Media and Em so good. Love that. Good job. Give yourselves a pat on the back. You are just so amazing, Legacy Media. Love that. I’m so proud of you. And if any of you are watching, just know how proud of you I am. I would give you a big hug right now if I could. That’s it for me, folks. Uh, enjoy the game tonight. I will be back for the postgame fan reaction after the game. And, uh, we’ll see you soon. Tell someone you love them. And as always, fight like a kid. Fight like Ben. Let’s go Oilers.

The Edmonton Oilers play the second half of a back to back against the Dallas Stars tonight. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins combined for zero shots on goal vs the Blues last night, as the team continues to play a boring style of hockey that is difficult to watch. Austin Hockey brings you the projected lines, stats, keys to the game, and more in today’s Pre-Game Report. #oilers #edmontonoilers #nhl

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