See, that’s where you’re wrong again.
- j.boyd919

Ok. Despite all your protests to the contrary, the Oilers haven’t won a Stanley Cup since 1990, suggesting a player can carry a team is directly referencing the leadership ability of said player, and saying a player is +X is referring to the plus/minus statistic of the player.

You guys are a real special breed, for sure.

I went back to last blog to see what was going on here. Been a nice while since I saw you and Feds taking turns at bat against other people. Gave me a nostalgic feeling.
- MattStrat

You have nostalgia for these misguided souls? What sort of batting do they typically do, t-ball?

Ok. Despite all your protests to the contrary, the Oilers haven’t won a Stanley Cup since 1990, suggesting a player can carry a team is directly referencing the leadership ability of said player, and saying a player is +X is referring to the plus/minus statistic of the player.

You guys are a real special breed, for sure.
- Kineada11

^you ever time you post

100%

Not a great puck handler and got in over his head when he left the net.
- madmike71

He actually had good puck handling skills, he just abused them and didn’t use them intelligently.

People forget how easy it was to throw off Sid & Geno in the 2012-2015 era, the Philly series was the pinnacle of that garbage. Sid was completely different in the 2016 run and beyond. In the final Thornton cross checking the sh*t out of him with no reaction from Sid because the man was on a mission. Leadership / playing a winning brand of hockey is still and always will be a thing. Too many people on here cream their pants over analytics and forget the human element.

Maybe the ones boxscore Billy looks at
- Feds91Stammer

I only check the goalies Corsi, 3 times a period.

People forget how easy it was to throw off Sid & Geno in the 2012-2015 era, the Philly series was the pinnacle of that garbage. Sid was completely different in the 2016 run and beyond. In the final Thornton cross checking the sh*t out of him with no reaction from Sid because the man was on a mission. Leadership / playing a winning brand of hockey is still and always will be a thing. Too many people on here cream their pants over analytics and forget the human element.
- abasin

People forget how easy it was to throw off Sid & Geno in the 2012-2015 era, the Philly series was the pinnacle of that garbage. Sid was completely different in the 2016 run and beyond. In the final Thornton cross checking the sh*t out of him with no reaction from Sid because the man was on a mission. Leadership / playing a winning brand of hockey is still and always will be a thing. Too many people on here cream their pants over analytics and forget the human element.
- abasin

I get what you're saying here but they wouldn't have won the cup in 2016 and 2017 without great goaltending. Especially 2017, that was a sh!t show. They were being absolutely dominated at times, especially the first two rounds. Lights out goaltending and majorly opportunistic scoring got it done...there was a game in the finals that year vs the Preds they went like 32 mins, yes over half a full game, without a shot hahah.. Then Jake came down the wing and buried one. They won that game haha

None of this is to mention they must have been great leaders in 2008 and 2009 leading the team to finals and winning one cup. So they were great leaders from 2008 to 2010...neither played the 2011 playoffs... Then bad leaders from 2012 to 2015...then good leaders again in 2016 and 2017...sounds a bit silly when you write it out this way, to me anyway.

OK. But does any of that change the fact that the Oilers stars have not won a Stanley Cup yet? Or even made it to the Finals?

I mean, what Mr. Wilson claimed is the equivalent of saying "I'm (me, a fat slob with no NHL experience whatsoever) good enough to carry my team to victory...assuming I have Gretzky, Jagr, Lemieux, Coffey, Orr, and Brodeur all in their primes on my team." You can always add some kind of qualifier to make your statement plausible when recorded facts show that your statement is indeed wrong.

I mean, I just don't get the argument here. I'm not trying to take away anything from the players in discussion. They have great skill and talent. They've done great in achieving individual accomplishments. They excite a lot of people and make a lot of money and are really good at hockey. But it's a simple fact, they haven't even made it to the pinnacle, much less claimed it.
- Kineada11

Yes. Absymal goaltending has been a major factor in sinking their runs/chances....

So, Sid and Geno are good leaders because they got excellent goaltending, that they very much needed, to win their cups?

The funny thing about this argument is being a great leader has nothing to do with putting up great numbers. They make a lot of money, in that regard they are simply fulfilling their contract.

The funny thing about this argument is being a great leader has nothing to do with putting up great numbers. They make a lot of money, in that regard they are simply fulfilling their contract.
- Grinder47

Exactly. Oilers need more great leaders like the Islanders so they can go home after the 1st round anytime they aren’t playing the penguins.

In other news. I heard Blue Jackets might shop Johnny Gaudreau who was rumored to be one of our targets for LW on our top line (even though I wish we would go after another player like Bunting).

I get what you're saying here but they wouldn't have won the cup in 2016 and 2017 without great goaltending. Especially 2017, that was a sh!t show. They were being absolutely dominated at times, especially the first two rounds. Lights out goaltending and majorly opportunistic scoring got it done...there was a game in the finals that year vs the Preds they went like 32 mins, yes over half a full game, without a shot hahah.. Then Jake came down the wing and buried one. They won that game haha

None of this is to mention they must have been great leaders in 2008 and 2009 leading the team to finals and winning one cup. So they were great leaders from 2008 to 2010...neither played the 2011 playoffs... Then bad leaders from 2012 to 2015...then good leaders again in 2016 and 2017...sounds a bit silly when you write it out this way, to me anyway.
- MattStrat

They weren’t the core leaders on the team in 08 and 09. Malkin still used a translator and Sid couldn’t legally drink in the US during the 08 run…they had a solid mix of vets and youth those years and it was a lot of overachievement and stars aligning.

I get what you're saying here but they wouldn't have won the cup in 2016 and 2017 without great goaltending. Especially 2017, that was a sh!t show. They were being absolutely dominated at times, especially the first two rounds. Lights out goaltending and majorly opportunistic scoring got it done...there was a game in the finals that year vs the Preds they went like 32 mins, yes over half a full game, without a shot hahah.. Then Jake came down the wing and buried one. They won that game haha

None of this is to mention they must have been great leaders in 2008 and 2009 leading the team to finals and winning one cup. So they were great leaders from 2008 to 2010...neither played the 2011 playoffs... Then bad leaders from 2012 to 2015...then good leaders again in 2016 and 2017...sounds a bit silly when you write it out this way, to me anyway.
- MattStrat

Also, Fluery was pretty mediocre in 2009. 2017 absolutely they needed solid tending, but that’s expected when most of the team had played 200+ games in two years and their #1 Defenseman on pace to win the Norris that year was out.

People seem to forget that pre-2018 playoff Ovi had an incredibly difficult run of opponents. In the 8 playoff appearances the Caps had prior to finally beating the Pens in the 2nd round in 2018, they lost to the peak-Sid Pens 3 times and the peak-Lundqvist Rags 3 times (along with peak Carey Price and TB once each).

Ovi was always either producing as he should be in the playoffs or shut down by the King (Lundqvist was insane during those years, he also shut us down a few times). If Ovi hadn't broken through in 2018 he'd have been the modern-NHL version of Charles Barkley (just unfortunate to have his entire prime overlapping with 2 all-time greats on great teams) -- but luckily he did finally get his Cup.

They weren’t the core leaders on the team in 08 and 09. Malkin still used a translator and Sid couldn’t legally drink in the US during the 08 run…they had a solid mix of vets and youth those years and it was a lot of overachievement and stars aligning.
- abasin

Malkin won the Conn Smythe in 2009. He absolutely was a leader on the ice, Sid too. It wasn't just production, he was laying in front of shots and even fighting. You dont have to speak a word to be a great leader. Leadership can take all kinds of forms. I do believe someone like Billy G was more of a vocal leader, in locker room and on bench, for that run, for sure.

Also, Fluery was pretty mediocre in 2009. 2017 absolutely they needed solid tending, but that’s expected when most of the team had played 200+ games in two years and their #1 Defenseman on pace to win the Norris that year was out.
- abasin

For the 2009 playoffs, for goalies that played at least more than 60 mins, the averages for SV% were .904 and GAA 2.85.

Fleury was .908 and 2.61 He was above average/mediocre. The year before, he was .933 and 1.77, which is elite.

Its been said around here many, many times you need at least average goaltending in he playoffs to get it done. In all of the Sid/Geno cup/finals runs they had above average. In the years they didn't get through it was below average, way below average in most cases.

Malkin won the Conn Smythe in 2009. He absolutely was a leader on the ice, Sid too. It wasn't just production, he was laying in front of shots and even fighting. You dont have to speak a word to be a great leader. Leadership can take all kinds of forms. I do believe someone like Billy G was more of a vocal leader, in locker room and on bench, for that run, for sure.
- MattStrat

They were all carried by an all time great leader by the name of Max (frank)ing Talbot

For the 2009 playoffs, for goalies that played at least more than 60 mins, the averages for SV% were .904 and GAA 2.85.

Fleury was .908 and 2.61 He was above average/mediocre. The year before, he was .933 and 1.77, which is elite.

Its been said around here many, many times you need at least average goaltending in he playoffs to get it done. In all of the Sid/Geno cup/finals runs they had above average. In the years they didn't get through it was below average, way below average in most cases.
- MattStrat

2008-09 playoffs Osgood was 2nd in all situations GSAA and MAF was 3rd. Weird both teams made it to back to back cups.

2008-09 playoffs Osgood was 2nd in all situations GSAA and MAF was 3rd. Weird both teams made it to back to back cups.
- Feds91Stammer

hahaha really strange, yeah...

Who was 1st?

hahaha really strange, yeah...

Who was 1st?
- MattStrat

Hiller. Which helped 8 seed Anaheim upset 1 seed SJ in 09

They were all carried by an all time great leader by the name of Max (frank)ing Talbot
- Feds91Stammer

They probably don’t beat the Flyers without Max taking a beating from Carcillo. Malkin came out on a mission the next shift and the rest is history.

Exactly. Oilers need more great leaders like the Islanders so they can go home after the 1st round anytime they aren’t playing the penguins.
- Feds91Stammer

Matt Martin and Mcdavid have won the same amount of Stanley cups. I guess at least Martin’s been to the finals.

Matt Martin and Mcdavid have won the same amount of Stanley cups. I guess at least Martin’s been to the finals.
- Grinder47

Not only has Martin never been to the finals but McDavid had more assists this season than Martin has for his entire 955 game career.

I get what you're saying here but they wouldn't have won the cup in 2016 and 2017 without great goaltending. Especially 2017, that was a sh!t show. They were being absolutely dominated at times, especially the first two rounds. Lights out goaltending and majorly opportunistic scoring got it done...there was a game in the finals that year vs the Preds they went like 32 mins, yes over half a full game, without a shot hahah.. Then Jake came down the wing and buried one. They won that game haha

None of this is to mention they must have been great leaders in 2008 and 2009 leading the team to finals and winning one cup. So they were great leaders from 2008 to 2010...neither played the 2011 playoffs... Then bad leaders from 2012 to 2015...then good leaders again in 2016 and 2017...sounds a bit silly when you write it out this way, to me anyway.
- MattStrat

they wouldn't have won in 2009, 2016, or 2017 without great goaltending and depth scoring. None of those teams were "carried" by their leaders. It was a total team effort with scoring from all 4 lines.