The Cult of Hockey's "Embattled Oiler leads Edmonton over Avs" podcast

[@vio8916]

I think they're staring to get going. I see most players finally start to take that next step and get out of 2nd gear that they seemed so stuck in for the most part up until a few games ago.

[@dianedyck3474]

It’s winter and the oilers never get going until it’s full on winter and we got a lot of snow in Edmonton now!

[@tomharrison6607]

again nurse had a good game when you don't notice him he played well

[@epiphany519]

Game 24. Long post follows with base game statistics including some for the Colorado Avalanche. Read, don't read, up to you. These are BASE stats not detailed ones like the Cult of Hockey compiles. My comments and observations at the end. Statistics for Edmonton Oilers at Colorado Avalanche November 30th, 2024 Edmonton Oilers: Kapanen 1 Goal (First as an Oiler) Podkolzin 1 Goal (GWG) (third game in a row he's scored one) Kulak 1 Goal (Fifth Goal of the Season) Nuge 1 Goal (Empty Netter), 1 Secondary Assist (second game in a row) McDavid 1 Primary Assist Stecher 1 Primary Assist (GWG) C Brown 1 Secondary Assist (GWG) Emberson 1 Primary Assist J Skinner 1 Secondary Assist Henrique 1 Primary Assist (Empty Netter) Bouchard 1 Secondary Assist (Empty Netter) S Skinner 27 Saves on 28 Shots = .964 Save %age (Exceptional) Colorado Avalanche: Kovalenko 1 Goal (PP) Lehkonen 1 Primary Assist (PP) Girard 1 Secondary Assist (PP) Georgiev 28 Saves on 31 Shots = 0.903 Save %age Oilers Avalanche Shots on Goal 32 28 Hits 9 16 Faceoffs Won 37 16 PP 0/2 1/5 Penalty Mins 14 8 Giveaways 2 11 (10 per NST) Takeaways 3 (2 per NST) 9 Blocked Shots 15 (9 per NST) 9 (8 per NST) 3 Stars: 3-Kovalenko (1G (PP)), 2-Podkolzin (1G), 1-Skinner (.964 Save %age) Player TOI PP TOI PK TOI SOG +/- PIM Hits Blocks Giveaways Takeaways Ekholm 22:57 0:13 5:31 0 2 2 0 0 1 0 Bouchard 21:02 2:58 0:07 2 2 2 2 1 0 0 Nurse 20:08 0:19 3:28 1 1 0 1 4 0 0 Emberson 19:56 0:00 5:07 1 1 0 1 2 0 0 Kulak 19:13 0:00 3:24 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 Stecher 14:10 0:09 0:15 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 Nuge 21:51 2:49 4:49 4 2 0 0 1 0 1 McDavid 20:21 3:00 0:09 4 1 2 0 0 0 0 Draisaitl 20:06 3:03 0:13 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 C Brown 15:45 0:34 2:28 0 2 2 0 1 0 0 Henrique 15:27 0:18 4:12 4 2 2 1 1 0 0 Janmark 14:29 0:00 2:57 1 1 2 0 1 0 0 Kapanen 14:13 0:00 1:13 1 1 0 3 2 0 0 Podkolzin 13:03 0:00 1:39 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 J Skinner 11:27 0:31 0:00 3 1 0 0 0 1 0 Perry 9:43 2:48 0:00 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 Ryan 8:18 0:00 0:10 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 Caggiula 6:16 0:00 0:00 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Oilers Faceoff Breakdown: Won Lost Percent Draisaitl 15 7 68.2 Ryan 8 1 88.9 Henrique 6 4 60.0 McDavid 5 3 62.5 Nuge 1 1 50.0 Janmark 1 0 100.0 C Brown 1 0 100.0 Avalanche's Faceoff Breakdown: Won Lost Percent Mittelstadt 5 9 35.7 MacKinnon 5 9 35.7 Rantanen 2 5 28.6 Wagner 1 1 50.0 O'Connor 1 0 100.0 Kelly 1 7 12.5 Ivan 1 5 16.7 Kiviranta 0 1 0.00 Again, waiting for surgery, couldn't watch or listen to the game just some highlights after the fact. "...This is a story about control, my control Control of what I say, control of what I do And this time I'm gonna do it my way I hope you enjoy this as much as I do" That is the opening to Janet Jackson's song Control and Control is what the Oilers did for most of this game. They had it. They used it. First period late on a Janmark penalty the PK finally gave up one but that's ALL they gave up. Stuart Skinner credited the PK for the win tonight and they played a massive part in it but he made a TON of great stops. The Avalanche goal was a one timer from Leon's spot by a player with a great shot. Zero chance, can't blame Stu. After this, ALL OILERS. After what seemed like a storm in front of Georgiev, Connor spotted Kapanen who batted it in for his first goal as an Oiler. Connor had 2 D on him so Kasperi had some breathing room and made it count. Assists to Connor and Nuge (who also had the Empty Netter for 2 points on the night). On to the second period. Potsgoalsin (Podkolzin) redirects a nice wrister by Stetcher that I doubt Georgiev even saw with both Pods and an Avalanche D in front of him. This was the game winning goal, the third game in a row Pods has scored in, and it was pretty. Third period, Kulak gets his fifth goal of the season with assists from his linemate Emberson and from Jeff Skinner. Nice shot through multiple screens and, again, I doubt Georgiev even saw it. Final goal on the night a nice empty netter by Nuge with a great pass from Henrique who got it from Bouchard. Things I noticed from the stats: The Oilers outshot Colorado 32 to 28. Still close but I expected more from Colorado especially considering they got FIVE power play opportunities (and we'll get to that in a bit). Oilers nine hits to 16 for the Av's so not a horribly physical game. Oilers slaughtered the Av's in the circle winning 37 to the Av's 16. PP went 0 for 2 tries and the PK finally let in one on five penalties. Oilers took 14 minutes of penalty time, Av's took 8. The kill got worked and that one goal for Colorado was a zero chance one timer on a pass across. No way Stu could have gotten across in time. Either the refs really didn't like the Oilers or they lacked discipline (or took penalties to prevent goals). Oilers had way fewer giveaways (two) to the Av's 11. They also had fewer takeaways (3) to the Av's 9. Oilers blocked more shots (I know, it must be the end times) with 15 to the Av's 9. I know the Av's were playing their 3rd game in 4 nights and both teams were on the 2nd half of back to backs but I expected more. Skinner got a great save on MacKinnon and did a great job in net (winning first star of the game with a .964 Save %age). Maybe Dallas beat them up a bit but the Av's looked like they climbed a mountain to only make it to the top then fall off. Next up, Vegas Golden Knights who got pounded by Utah HC Six to Nothing. For those that think Utah is just Arizona 2.0 you're wrong. They are not a bad team. They have needs sure but they can beat you (as the Oilers almost found out and Vegas learned much to their chagrin I'm sure). LA beat Ottawa so we make up no ground on them though we do pass Calgary (based on wins and games in hand) in the standing to take over 3rd in the Pacific. Take care all

[@Ace96x10]

Getting hard for people to say PodGoalsagain isn't top 6 material isn't it lol) I'm glad to be able to praise Stu Skinner, he was very good in this game. That's 4 very good games from him this year. If he ever gets more reasonably constant, he could be a true #1. I'm rooting for him. That is the worst I can remember ever seeing the Avs, they were not good. But 2 points is 2 points. Or as Geddy Lee once said, "10 bucks is ten bucks".

[@kwaty]

Will wonders never cease! rare praise for Stu from Ace! Now we know he had a great game! 😉

[@Ace96x10]

@@kwaty Lol, Good point Kwaty)

[@RememberMe123-b4b]

?ecA yhsaw-yhsiw os yhw

[@juleswinnfield6930]

Ah yes VP looking good with Leon and Co. Great work ethic and that chemistry is coming together....

[@tman6663]

Lol, hey Ace! Yep Stu was decent, let’s see more! Podz is so good! The Avs do not look like a very good team..finally! Luv the great Geddy Lee of Rush, reference! Rock on Ace!

[@allang4046]

Best all-around game they’ve played this year.

[@dianedyck3474]

Nurse has always played well with a puck moving good skating defenseman like Chris Russell…both stretcher and kulak sort of fit that mold !

[@RememberMe123-b4b]

The boys played a playoff game....WINNIN' THE CUP THIS YEAR 🧨✨️🎈✨️✨️🎈✨️✨️✨️🎉

[@joetoh6675]

My good thing: Nuge getting off a one-timer slapshot. How often do you see that? Please tell me, someone who watches this team more closely. He usually dusts it off and goes for a wrister. I hope it's indicative of all players putting in the work (like Podkolzin) and expanding their skillsets.

[@Feedback4Utoday]

yes Nuge is a very poor shooter.. reliable in other areas skating/passing - but a very poor finisher.... he gets a massive amt of PP time - so underperforms If team had some shooters he would get less PP time & McD?Drais.... would set up the shooter = more pts

[@joetoh6675]

@@Feedback4Utoday I'd say Nuge has one consistently good shot, his wrister past the blocker, but he usually needs to dust the puck off first. I hope he keeps improving his finishing skills. About his PP time, he was part of one of history's best PP for a few years running, so he was doing something right on it, which I would sum up as "puck possession" (includes distributing it to teammates safely).

[@SurfingTheSoundwaves]

It does look like Stu is getting his game in order. Thank heavens! Strong victory. Go Oil!

[@feelingaLittleRandy___Gregg]

My bad thing was you guys changing the "Californian" Goal this season. I have been a fanboy for many a years, and rightfully so, because this is the best unbiased, Oilers biased show. Before a "Californian" was when it tipped in off of 2 or three players, and was a pure "lucky" goal. That goal on Fleury was beyond the realm of "Californian". But it was always a double deflection off 2 or more player, and definitely unskilled. Now it is termed as any point shot that gets through or single tip. I like the fact that you guys labeled it as a telly unskilled goal. BUT it was always a dagger to the heart goal, maybe because the Oilers could not overcome one bad goal in those days. Seriously for a moment "One Bad Thing" was last night first Period 6:33 on the face off, Nuge goes to McKinnon who curls around the face-off circle, and although there were two Oilers to take the man, Nuge leaves the defensive space he has to maintain in order to prevent a pass to the defensemen. The result wasMcKinnon makes a tape-to-tape pass to Makar walks into the hashmarks to snaps it from there (where he almost always scores from), then Colorado DOMINATES that line for three more epic scoring chances. Was that 2 of your guys "5 alarm" Colorado chances? Third bad thing Bouchard, while no body walked him, he just is missing playing defensive play, looking around for open man....in third period with 2:33 left in the game, when he thinks the puck is getting out he is blowing the zone leaving MacKinnon wide open for the onetime. Thank goodness he shot into the middle of the net, because that was a horrendous defensive laps (AGAIN). Bouchard is just not thinking defensively. Good things: @epiphany519 posts!! S. Skinner was great, dialled in.... need more than 2 starts a month like that though. When Kulak poked MacKinnon's elbow on the partial break to stop that shot? Is that considered a slash? US broadcasts called it a slash on the wrist, but clearly not and further proof you cannot take anything serious from the US broadcasts as he kept calling Kulak "Nurse".

[@Apex1000snow]

S Sinner always plays good when the rest play hard and win battles! solid solid game tonight boys!

[@tamatb]

Skinner had that goal saved ... sooo close to a shutout!

[@happytrails151]

Imo we still need that top 4 D. This arrangement of a patchwork D that getting it done as a group can excel in the regular season but in the playoffs any lesser D will be targetted and exploited too well. Even this game, it felt to me like Colorado just didnt scouted our weaker Dmen enough. We want Kulak as the anchor of our 3rd pairing.

[@mariusbee7706]

Draisaitl won the skill passing competition 2019!!!!!

[@darrylfischer]

Thanks for reminiscing about the Lord of the Rings. Also books that got me reading. I read The Hobbit in one night when I was supposed to be studying.

[@fontainefitness5698]

They should still pick up a defensman for the playoffs. If Arvidson, Hyman and Kane are back by then, their forward group will be stacked. They just need to look at defensive depth instead of a top 4 D.

[@emilealexei8489]

Connor Murphy fits this right shot with time remaining on deal

[@spiritedtruthseeker5929]

What the difference between a left shit and a right shit

[@nicolasderuiter1699]

Great podcast. I would respectfully suggest to both David and Bruce to be remember to not talk over each other (both do it sometimes). Glad to hear Stetcher is doing well. Podkolzin crushing it, Nurse stepping up. Very very good things Lord of the Rings allllllllll the way. Thanks for the suggestion, David

[@spiritedtruthseeker5929]

David cuts bruce off all the time. Bruce barely ever does it and if he does he's probably just sick of getting talked over. I've been watching these dudes since 2014

[@brentdraper1713]

Louie and Jack miss a lot, it's most usual

[@spiritedtruthseeker5929]

As soon as the other team starts doing good Louie starts stroking them off and coddling their balls. It's so friggin annoying. I usually have them muted

[@spiritedtruthseeker5929]

Loser refs didn't get their way this game.

[@Oilers1972]

Pot-goals-in 😉👍💙🤍🧡