GDT: Oilers @ Sabres; 1-2-2020, 7pm EDT

[Doohickie]

1 minute ago, thewookie1 said:

I want a player who exclusively scores that way

[PerreaultForever]

Eichel is better than McDavid in the same way Messier was better than Gretzky. He's not, but he can dominate a game and is a more complete player. 

Excellent way to end a game that was otherwise very meh. Two teams going nowhere and I don't think anyone on ours knows how to throw a body check. Good to win though regardless. 

 

[North Buffalo]

56 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Eichel is better than McDavid in the same way Messier was better than Gretzky. He's not, but he can dominate a game and is a more complete player. 

Excellent way to end a game that was otherwise very meh. Two teams going nowhere and I don't think anyone on ours knows how to throw a body check. Good to win though regardless. 

 

Risto does... if you mean forwards... Larrson and Girgenson can... OK does with the proviso protecting his head and Lazar has possibilities... but generally agree.... not enough player do.

Edited January 3, 2020 by North Buffalo

[Skibum]

By the way, Olofsson appeared to have wrecked his knee last night. That did not look good. If we're lucky, it's a sprained MCL. 

[Curt]

5 hours ago, North Buffalo said:

I disagree, Datsyuk in his prime was God... in many ways way better than Crosby defensively and offensively.  Crosby is special and v the other guys sure... but that Detroit team  had so much talent and Pavel was so modest and quiet he almost got overlooked, but watch his highlights they were/are insane and he brought that almost every game.

Disagree.  Defensively maybe, but overall Datsyuk was a definite step below Crosby.

I think Crosby is the one getting overlooked right now.  People seem to have this impression that he is over the hill or something.  He just had arguably his best season last year.  He is still elite.  No doubt one of the top-5 players in the league, probably behind on McDavid.

[Taro T]

6 hours ago, North Buffalo said:

I disagree, Datsyuk in his prime was God... in many ways way better than Crosby defensively and offensively.  Crosby is special and v the other guys sure... but that Detroit team  had so much talent and Pavel was so modest and quiet he almost got overlooked, but watch his highlights they were/are insane and he brought that almost every game.

Datsyuk was an extremely good player (there was a reason his name was chosen 1st for this analogy) - the best on a team that included guys like Zetterberg and Lidstrom on the backside.  But you are in an extremely small minority that say Pavel was better than Crosby.

[North Buffalo]

20 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Datsyuk was an extremely good player (there was a reason his name was chosen 1st for this analogy) - the best on a team that included guys like Zetterberg and Lidstrom on the backside.  But you are in an extremely small minority that say Pavel was better than Crosby.

Yeh I tend to swim against the tide... that being said... publicity can do that for you.  And defensively it is not even a question... Pens and Crosby has had Malkin and Guentzel, Letang and others and Fleury on back end.  

[Curt]

29 minutes ago, North Buffalo said:

Yeh I tend to swim against the tide... that being said... publicity can do that for you.  And defensively it is not even a question... Pens and Crosby has had Malkin and Guentzel, Letang and others and Fleury on back end.  

Over their careers, the players around Datsyuk were just as good as the players that have been around Crosby.

[pastajoe]

8 hours ago, Curt said:

No.  I disagree completely.  McDavid has better hands.

McD skates by players, Eichel can skate within a small area and keep the puck away with his stickhandling, and can make more precise passes.

[LGR4GM]

4 minutes ago, pastajoe said:

McD skates by players, Eichel can skate within a small area and keep the puck away with his stickhandling, and can make more precise passes.

 

[nfreeman]

^^^^That view of the Eichel rush confirms that one of the Sabres set a pick for him at the Sabres' blue line.  I think it was Reino, but not sure.

Speaking of Reino, he had another one of those games where he does zero for 2 periods and then makes a bunch of good plays thereafter.

[North Buffalo]

44 minutes ago, Curt said:

Over their careers, the players around Datsyuk were just as good as the players that have been around Crosby.

Agreed, appeared that others were arguing the other way... Id take God over Cindy

[pastajoe]

46 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I’m just saying most of Jack’s points come from his stick skills in zone, while McD is more on the rush. But Jack can fly when there’s less traffic.

[tom webster]

43 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

^^^^That view of the Eichel rush confirms that one of the Sabres set a pick for him at the Sabres' blue line.  I think it was Reino, but not sure.

Speaking of Reino, he had another one of those games where he does zero for 2 periods and then makes a bunch of good plays thereafter.

If that kind of play was called a pick there would be twenty penalties on each team. No doubt Sam was trying to create space but the Edmonton player didn’t come close to hitting him.

[WildCard]

1 hour ago, nfreeman said:

^^^^That view of the Eichel rush confirms that one of the Sabres set a pick for him at the Sabres' blue line.  I think it was Reino, but not sure.

Speaking of Reino, he had another one of those games where he does zero for 2 periods and then makes a bunch of good plays thereafter.

Is that debatable? That was obvious when I saw it live tbh

[Torpedo Forecheck]

52 minutes ago, tom webster said:

If that kind of play was called a pick there would be twenty penalties on each team. No doubt Sam was trying to create space but the Edmonton player didn’t come close to hitting him.

Agreed, it was more of a screen instead of a pick.

Edited January 3, 2020 by Torpedo Forecheck

[Pimlach]

9 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Eichel is better than McDavid in the same way Messier was better than Gretzky. He's not, but he can dominate a game and is a more complete player. 

Excellent way to end a game that was otherwise very meh. Two teams going nowhere and I don't think anyone on ours knows how to throw a body check. Good to win though regardless. 

 

Did you watch Girgensons last night.   It’s become fashionable to say this because we do not have a team that finishes checks.  We do have a few that can do it.  Unfortunately it's a very few:  Girgensons, Larry, Lazar, Okposso (sometimes), Risto, Bogo (sometimes) and McCabe (sometimes). 

Eichel and Skinner will finish checks more than the rest of the forwards, which will be a problem against the so called “heavy teams” should we ever see a playoff.  

[bunomatic]

All this talk of Eichels improved defensive play and no mention of his faceoff prowess or lack thereof. I don’t have the numbers in front of me but McDavid is pretty good in that regard.

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, tom webster said:

If that kind of play was called a pick there would be twenty penalties on each team. No doubt Sam was trying to create space but the Edmonton player didn’t come close to hitting him.

Correct.  I do not think the NHL has a pick or screen penalty - they have “interference” and it requires contact.  

...  of course I could be wrong on this.  ? 

[Doohickie]

4 hours ago, Skibum said:

By the way, Olofsson appeared to have wrecked his knee last night. That did not look good. If we're lucky, it's a sprained MCL. 

They're saying ankle sprain now.  Sit him tomorrow and then the team has 9 days off.

4 hours ago, Taro T said:

Datsyuk was an extremely good player (there was a reason his name was chosen 1st for this analogy) - the best on a team that included guys like Zetterberg and Lidstrom on the backside.  But you are in an extremely small minority that say Pavel was better than Crosby.

But not a minority of 1.  I agree that Datsyuk was better.

[Doohickie]

2 hours ago, tom webster said:

If that kind of play was called a pick there would be twenty penalties on each team. No doubt Sam was trying to create space but the Edmonton player didn’t come close to hitting him.

The defender didn't even break stride, and honestly, the "pick" or "screen" forced the Oiler into a more direct route to the net.

[nfreeman]

2 hours ago, tom webster said:

If that kind of play was called a pick there would be twenty penalties on each team. No doubt Sam was trying to create space but the Edmonton player didn’t come close to hitting him.

You are right -- I was more pointing it out as a nuance in the play that I found interesting.

Perhaps the Oiler who got screened should've crashed into Reino to force the ref to make a call?

[Doohickie]

32 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Did you watch Girgensons last night.

Girgs feels like he's starting to get some of his early career mojo back.  The goals aren't going in, but he's been making some very high skill plays, plus he has that sandpaper in his game.  He won't fulfill the potential of a first round pick, but he definitely has NHL level game.  Frankly I hope they keep both him and angry Larry for at least 2 or 3 more years.  And we're stuck with Okposo, he complements them well.  The nice thing about it is they are well matched as a checking line, but all those guys can move up a line or two if needed.

1 minute ago, nfreeman said:

Perhaps the Oiler who got screened should've crashed into Reino to force the ref to make a call?

Honestly I don't think it was that close.  He would have had to skate too far out of his way to collide with Sam.  And when you're defending like that, taking yourself out of the play in the hope of a penalty is ridiculous.

[Taro T]

4 hours ago, Doohickie said:

They're saying ankle sprain now.  Sit him tomorrow and then the team has 9 days off.

But not a minority of 1.  I agree that Datsyuk was better.

Really?  The Detroit fan liked Datsyuk better than Crosby.  Shocking.

(And not saying in any way you prefer the Dead Things over the Sabres; we know your loyalties are b&g, but it is fairly well known that you aren't exactly an unbiased observer when it comes to matters octopi-land related.)

[Doohickie]

Guilty as charged.