Established in 2006 as a Community of Reality

Welcome to the Neno's Place!

Neno's Place Established in 2006 as a Community of Reality


Neno

I can be reached by phone or text 8am-7pm cst 972-768-9772 or, once joining the board I can be reached by a (PM) Private Message.

Join the forum, it's quick and easy

Established in 2006 as a Community of Reality

Welcome to the Neno's Place!

Neno's Place Established in 2006 as a Community of Reality


Neno

I can be reached by phone or text 8am-7pm cst 972-768-9772 or, once joining the board I can be reached by a (PM) Private Message.

Established in 2006 as a Community of Reality

Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.
Established in 2006 as a Community of Reality

Many Topics Including The Oldest Dinar Community. Copyright © 2006-2020


    Edmonton Oilers

    jedi17
    jedi17
    jedi17
    Moderator
    Moderator


    Posts : 10738
    Join date : 2013-02-20
    • Post n°1

    Edmonton Oilers Empty Edmonton Oilers

    Post by jedi17 Fri 10 Mar 2017, 8:03 pm

    G67 Oilers vs Penguins: Talkin Jultz
    March 10, 2017, 2:11 PM ET [37 Comments]
    Matt Henderson
    Edmonton Oilers Edm Edmonton Oilers Blogger • RSS • Archive • CONTACT
    Well, well, well. So we meet again, Justin Schultz. 

    Roughly a year ago when Justin Schultz left the Oilers he was a shell of a defenseman. Barely a shadow of the promise that once shone brightly within him. A lot has changed for Justin Schultz since then, and good for him. This is one of those cases where both parties are better off going their separate ways. For all of the things I’ve written about Schultz (and my god, there was so much written), I bear no ill will towards him. 

    I’m willing to bet the average Penguins fan has no idea that “Jultz” was a verb and a noun. That’s how well things have gone for him! He’s currently 4th in NHL scoring by defensemen. In 62 games with the Penguins this year he has 12-33-45, a career high in both goals and points in a season with 20 games to go. It’s a fantastic season and he’s likely to get a few 3rd-5th place votes for that Norris trophy, just like Ol’ MacT predicted! 




    The difference between where he is today and where he was when the Oilers finally decided to move on cannot be overstated. It goes to show what confidence and being played in the right spot in the lineup can do for a guy. There is probably nothing that can help your swagger as an NHL player like the phrase “Stanley Cup Champion” behind your name. That alone can make anyone stand taller. For a man who was so obviously broken when he left the Oilers, it seems to have resuscitated his career.

    When he left the Oilers, Justin Schults was being over-played by a coaching staff that we still aren’t sure have taken an appropriate level of flak for Schultz’s usage. Almost right up to the end, the Edmonton Oilers played Schultz top pairing minutes. In his 248 games as an Oiler he averaged 22:09 per night on the blueline. That’s 2:56 on the PP, 43 seconds on the PK, and 18:29 at Even Strength. 

    With the Penguins this year, even with injuries to key players on their defense, Schultz averages just 19:31 per night on the Pittsburgh blueline. That’s 5th among their regular defenders! It’s 2:34 on the PP, 5 seconds on the PK, and 16:52 at Even Strength. I cannot put any more emphasis on how the reduction of 5v5 ice and fewer responsibilities in the defensive zone are contributing to Schultz’s improvement. Incidentally, his 102.7 PDO is also a major contributing factor as to why he looks so good, but he’s also a possession positive player and it doesn’t appear to be driven by someone obvious.

    Let’s not forget that life didn’t get better for Schultz the second he left Edmonton, either. He averaged just 13 minutes a night for the Penguins in the playoffs. That’s ranked 89 of 100 defenders who played at least 4 games in the playoffs. Justin Schultz wasn’t gifted anything by the Penguins. And that’s the key difference between the way the two organizations approached him. Edmonton gave him everything: minutes, high-end teammates, money. They tried to will him to fit in the lineup where they played him. The Penguins seem to have accepted his deficiencies and play him accordingly. The results are speaking for themselves.

    One last thing that stands out to me. In the final 2.75 seasons he played for Edmonton, Justin Schultz dressed in 200 games, played more minutes than anyone on the team, and was on the top PP unit. During those 200 final games he registered just 2 Power Play goals. Two and three quarter seasons, just two goals on the man advantage. He was an offensive defender with major defensive flaws being played too many minutes and who was failing in offensive situations. 

    With regards to the way it all played out, the player has a responsibility there but so does the coaching staff. So does the management of the team. The evidence was there all along. The chances to keep him insulated behind more defensively capable blueliners was there (Petry). The Oilers failed Justin Schultz as much as he failed them. I’m glad that he moved on and has found his game again. 

    I hope the Oilers don’t look at this player and make assumptions like “The pressure from the fans was too great for him.” Fan pressure was set by the coach and the management who elevated the player beyond his abilities. Fan pressure is a fake excuse in this case, when it’s obvious that the way he is being used in Pittsburgh by their coaching staff and the expectations set by their management have been night and day different to what was happening in Edmonton.

    Good for Jultz. I wish he hadn’t been so awful here. Everyone is better apart in this case.

    LINEUP

    Pouliot is expected to be in the lineup as is Russell.

    Maroon McDavid Draisaitl
    Lucic RNH Eberle
    Pouliot Desharnais Kassian
    Hendricks Letestu Khaira

    Klefbom Larsson
    Sekera Russell
    Nurse Benning

    Talbot
    Brossoit

    OILERS KEYS TO THE GAME

    1) Missed Opportunities. The last game was particularly infuriating because the Oilers (and I mean McDavid) were creating scoring chances but refused to capitalize on them. McDavid must have had at least 4 or 5 Grade A passes to a teammate who only had to tap it in, but couldn’t. It’s nights like those that make people say things like “McDavid needs to shoot more”. Sure, there are times when Connor McDavid really just needs to take the shot and let his linemate try to pick up a rebound. But McDavid also has 24 more shots on net than the next closest Oiler on the team. He’s shooting pretty frequently. I’m more upset that the team as a whole should have been up 3-1 in the 2nd period but instead found themselves down 2-1 after the 2nd. 

    2) Geno and Sid. The Penguins have the best 1-2 punch in the NHL. Malkin and Crosby are both tied with 70 points on the year. Both have a higher points per game than McDavid who sits at 74 points. Both have more than 30 goals already this season. There is no hiding from this. The Oilers (likely Kris Russell and Sekera) are going to have nightmares about what these players are going to do tonight. The Oilers don’t have that same 1-2 punch. Of his 868 5v5 minutes, Crosby has played with Malkin just a combined 7:17 this year. The Penguins prefer to hit you with one, then the other. Nobody in the NHL can match that. Good luck, Kris!

    3) Benoit’s Back. The Oilers are returning Benoit Pouliot to the lineup after more than a month out. This has been one of the worst season in Pouliot’s career. The strongest support for this player has typically come out of non-traditional media (stats guys) and to a man they would all tell you that he’s having a very poor season by his standards. He needs to take this time off and return as a chance to re-set. He is a much better hockey player than he has shown this year. Perhaps playing with Desharnais will spark something in him. They’ve played together before to decent results in Montreal, but more importantly he’s an NHL veteran. Pouliot hasn’t scored a goal since December 8th. That’s 26 straight games. He’s due.

    Puck drops at 7 PM Mountain Time on Sportsnet West. Game On!
    • Back to top
      Current date/time is Tue 26 Nov 2024, 8:09 pm