The Oilers were 2-9-1 early this season and looked pretty lost. Now they’re one of the hottest teams in the NHL. Is it just the change behind the bench that sent them on this current run?
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32 Comments
I also don't think Woody was the reason for the awful start, but the big thing Knoblauch did, and what the fanbase has been clamoring for for years is, he separated McDavid and Draisaitl, and has kept them separate. Sure, Draisaitl's point totals have taken a hit. As they inevitably would, given the obvious downgrade in linemates. But it's given a big boost to the second line, who have chimed in with big offensive contributions at key times. Also, Kane has played mostly in the third line, which has spread the wealth even further, instead of the team being all top, no bottom.
But honestly, the biggest change is just that they're playing better, plain and simple. All the modifications to the lines aside, they were just playing terribly at the start of the season. They started off wrong, then lost their mojo, things spiraled out of control, and they ended up in a hole. But they dug themselves out of it, and are looking as good as they should have been from game one.
Woody is a good caoch. Woody thought he was the smartest guy in the room. Woody implemented a new system for the O and D. Woody fucked around and found out he wasnt the smartest guy in the room and it cost him his job….. And they got healthy.
mccloud and foegle really helped stabilize the ship with their secondary production
my fantasy team says get Kane back in Drai's line 😢
A team with McDavid and Draisaitl doesn't need much coaching. I think it's the culture change. Sending Campbell down and committing to Skinner is was probably the bigger turning point.
The Nurse contract is bad, but Nurse himself, when he's not overplayed and trying to do too much, is a #1. He is a "minutes monster" historically, but I think that's part of the problem, and they seemed to have balanced that a lot better recently.
As for Campbell, I unfortunately think they're stuck with the contract without some serious magic.
McDavid gets healthy and Oilers follow suit
If Jay Woodcroft spoke to his team in the same way he spoke to the (admittedly cringe) Edmonton media the Oilers would always gonna be in trouble. Talking lots – saying nothing.
The coaching change has helped a bit. In particular, Paul Coffey has instilled confidence on the defensemen to make plays and take measured risks. The main factors to the turnaround are the return to health of McDavid and Ekholm, goalie confidence as well as just plain luck.
Two big differences since Knoblauch:
1) Penalty kill is NIGHT and DAY. No idea what Manson was doing but defensive defenseman Paul Coffey was apparently the answer…
2) Knoblauch keeps his lines steady almost to a fault. Woodcroft was constantly playing this line shuffling game where players almost never played with the guys they practiced with in order to « trick » the opposing coaches… I think it really helps the team develop line chemistry and consistency.
That no one has hired Woodcroft since we was fired has me questioning if there’s more there than we think.
Uh…all of it? Who wants Woodcroft back? But it was Jackson (I believe) who brought Knoblauch in along w/ Coffey.
I wouldn't be against the Oilers trading draft picks to unload Campbell, would be nice to get Kaapo Kahkonen to play along with Skinner. But It seems San Jose doesn't have a lot of cap room. Strange for such a bad team.
Ok bear with me, trade with sharks, Campbell/hamblin/brown a first round pick and a 5th round pick, you take duclair and Blackwood. Then you go to Montreal, get monohan for broberg and bourgault, Kane monohan and duclair are 3rd line, I know it’s a lot of moves but would sharks take first part?
Some missing discussion: From the beginning of the season, the Oilers were getting more dangerous shots than almost anyone else in the league, and they were also allowing fewer than almost anyone in the league. They were projected to be around .650-.700 during Woodcroft's time if they had average goaltending, but the goaltending was league-worst. Since then, the goaltending has been above average, and they are actually playing .700. Unless Skinner and Woodcroft weren't getting along, it's difficult to credit the coaching change with very much. Granted, the Oilers are now performing at the level they were during Woodcroft's peak last season, so you can say there is some improvement in the team's play. As for solidifying the goaltending, they need to give Rodrigue some NHL time before looking for a trade. If any combination of Skinner, Rodrigue, Pickard, and Campbell can yield average NHL goaltending, the Oilers are going to win a lot of games.
I give full credit to Knoblauch for this turnaround. McDavid has been his normal self and more, and under Coffee's tutelage the defense is making plays now. Everything got better after Knoblauch showed up. I think Woodcroft got too entrenched in a system or mindset, but it's hard to say being on the outside of it all.
They're going to need to move Campbell's whole cap hit if they can, because Foegele already needs an extension, then they're going to have to extend Bouchard and McLeod the same year as Draisaitl, and then follow it up with McDavid and Skinner. I hope they do it ASAP and use some of that room at the deadline.
Do you think the Oilers would benefit from grabbing Corey Perry?
Some of the talk for Campbell is the decision between buying him out vs. retaining salary on him. Cause a buyout right now would destroy the cap for the years where we need to resign Draisaitl, McDavid and Bouchard.
The performance of the oilers d-core since the change has been next level and I think it just gives the goalies and forwards infinitely more confidence.
The problem is Jack Campbell isn't even playing well in the AHL, in my mind for now he's days are numbered in the NHL.
I would love Jake Allen as a backup
Paul coffee
When you make your obligatory 10 game winning streak video on Saturday don’t forget to discuss Paul Coffee. He deserves a ton of credit. He’s basically turned Evan Bouchard into another version of himself and all the defenders have been good too.
In addition to Conor coming alive and knob and coffeys undeniable positive influence and all that good stuff… Good old fashioned puck luck. Those first few games a lot of them the oilers outshot the hell out of the competition and just couldn't find a way. Supernaturally bad puck luck is a real thing, and it struck in a really weird cluster to the open of this season.
Hopefully we look back at the season start as a really fun dramatic opening to the 23/24 oilers Stanley cup victory season.
McDavid got healthy. Player's needed to impress new coach
They need to find nurse a new partner. Ceci isn’t good enough to play with nurse, he kills every play and isn’t that good defensively. 12:25
One thing I don’t want to go completely unnoticed, I think Vinny Desharnais has made a huge step over the offseason, I remember last year all he’d try to do was play body and couldn’t keep up to people, I’m now noticing that he has improved much on his skating, and in the Oilers skills comp he clocked 40 km/h! McDavid goes like 45 and league average is like 38! He also is using his long reach to his advantage when poke checking. Overall I think he has been much better defensively and is filling the roll of a 6th D-man with a defensive and physical side to his game. I’m also noticing it seems like he doesn’t get beat nearly as much.
Very similar to last year. Slow start and ramp up to playoffs. Difference this year, Woodcroft took the bullet that is Campbell. Don't know how Holland still has a job.
The 3 biggest perpetrators of this turnaround are Kris Knoblauch, Paul Coffey and Mark Stuart.
The 2 biggest things that Knoblauch have done are:
1. Keeping lines together. Something that has been more of a bane than a boon in recent years is the line blender. McLellan did it, Tippett did it, Woodcroft did it. Knoblauch is keeping the lines together and allowing them to create chemistry. This is why the McLeod-Draisaitl-Foegele is such a hot line.
2. The forecheck. Woodcroft ran a 2-2-1 forecheck, Knoblauch is running a 2-1-2 forecheck. There are two forwards forechecking below the goal line giving defenders hell. This is another huge reason why the Draisaitl line is so successful. At least 3 of McLeod's goals have come via Foegele and Draisaitl forechecking behind the net while McLeod slides into the slot.
Paul Coffey's impact on the defence can be best described by what Louie DeBrusk said in an oilersnation podcast, saying Coffey's message to the defense was "don't just dump the puck off the glass, pick your head up and make a play". The greatest example of this is McDavid's goal against Chicago a couple days ago. Ekholm picked his head up and fired an 80 foot pass diagonally from blueline to blueline. This is also why we're seeing Ceci jumping up in the rush more now.
The other thing Coffey has done for the defensive core is changing the psychology of being a pair back to the old school ways of doing everything together. The defencemen on the Oilers are sitting together in the dressing room, having dinner together, traveling together etc. Paul wants them to be in each other's heads to the point where they can anticipate each other's moves the same way you see McDavid and Draisaitl playing off each other.
Lastly, Mark Stuart taking over running the PK has also done wonders. Stuart being one of the best penalty killers in the league when he was playing makes sense why he would be able to give everyone tips to make life harder for the opposing powerplay. Instead of Manson rotating through the whole team, Stuart has a team of 8 dedicated penalty killers, selecting players that are not only good at it but will take pride in doing so. This is where Connor Brown's game has been most improved. Even if he isn't scoring, he's become an effective penalty killer
Just delete and reupload to talk about defensive coaching
A Lot.