Monday Mailbag – August 24th

Another weekend is in the books and that means the search begins for ways to kill company time. As always, the mailbag is here for you. If you have a question you want to ask you can email me at baggedmilk@oilersnation.com or hit me up on Twitter at @jsbmbaggedmilk. This segment only works with your participation so let me know what’s on your mind and our writers will help you learn something. 

There is no effective way to prevent Connor McDavid from being a target, any more than there was Taylor Hall or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The NHL is a physical league and ultimately McDavid is going to have to be able to survive being a target physically. The good news is that he’s been a target for years and years now – hockey isn’t fundamentally different at the junior level – and he’s survived that. The best players seem to have a sixth sense about incoming hits; I’ll never forget watching a game between Colorado and New Jersey where Joe Sakic almost got caught with his head down by Scott Stevens as he was coming over the blue line, but he looked up at the last instant and managed to avoid a devastating check. Players have to be willing to push back, too; we’ve seen it from Hall and Nugent-Hopkins over the years and from what I know of McDavid it’s not an issue for him, either.

Giving McDavid a babysitter is wrongheaded and trying desperately to keep him away from mean players is worse. There’s simply no protection from a level of physical danger in the NHL.

None of the above. He’s a hockey player, not grandma’s fine China. You can’t do anything that will prevent injury. It’s a lie we tell ourselves. The only way to keep him from being targeted for a hit is to prevent him from touching the puck and what exactly would be the point of that? Here’s great news: I don’t think many players will be able to hit him. He’s incredibly fast, agile, and intelligent. Plus he always skates with his head up. I would wager he won’t take that many devastating hits in his career.

There isn’t a way to prevent that. Hockey is a full contact sport played at alarming rate of speed. There’s gonna be injuries no matter what. McDavid is incredibly fast and shifty, so I think he’ll be similar to Nuge; when was the last time you saw Nuge REALLY take a bit hit? It rarely ever happens because his on-ice awareness is insane, and he’s used to being a smaller guy out there, so he’s learned self preservation skills. 

I know we all love this image of Gazdic or someone out there acting as a bodyguard and scowling at D-men so they back off from pasting our young superstars into the boards, but it’s not remotely realistic. If he blows out a shoulder he blows out a shoulder, and an entire team of Semenkos and Proberts can’t do anything to prevent that.

You cannot protect against injury. What you can do is try to find the best match-ups. Having RNH play ahead of him on the first line to start is a good way to do that. Play to his strengths, not to what you fear “might happen.”

I think the Oilers should run him on a skill line with Taylor Hall, a designated ‘second line’ with the top line being Pouliot-Nuge-Eberle. I think RNH is good enough to lead that line and that forces the opponent to run secondary opposition against McDavid’s trio. I’d try it anyway, although the other winger isn’t obvious from here.

McDavid has been a target for his whole life in hockey. He is smart and will figure it out. A couple slashes or a spear in retaliation would also give him some space every now and then.

Bubble wrap. The only way to prevent him from having a chance at getting hurt is wrapping him with various sizes of bubble wrap. In all seriousness there is no way to prevent him from getting injured unless we ask him to quit playing hockey and take up knitting instead. Even then those knitting needles can be pretty sharp and he could poke himself. 

I get that a lot of people are up in arms about this, and I understand why. I don’t care very much; the NHL is first and foremost about money and jersey ads are simply one step further down the road of ugly labour negotiations and ugly arena negotiations.

Hate it. HATE it. I recognize that it is probably going to come eventually because money ruins everything, but that is some serious garbage. Might as well let the finals be called the Tostitos Stanley Cup Brought To You By Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper Finals. But seriously, I hate the idea.

Obviously the thought of NHL jerseys turning into those abominations we see in most of the European leagues is terrible, but unfortunately at this point it’s basically inevitable. The NHL is a business and like any other business in history it’ll do whatever it can to open more and more streams of revenue. I STILL don’t like those ads that are projected on the end glass. They stick out to me and can be distracting sometimes. But this is the world we live in today, where teams go play at the Farmers Insurance Arena Brought To You Buy Bridgestone A Johnson & Johnson Subsidiary, and even frickin power plays are brought to you by *insert corporate sponsor*! BASEKETBALL PREDICTED THIS AND NONE OF US LISTENED!!

Don’t like it. Jerseys in Europe look like cartoon costumes.

I think it’s going to happen and there’s probably something we should say about it, but honestly for me there are other things that the league has done that are more baffling. Ruining the value of won-loss records is one of these things.

I would be fine with having the ads on my jersey if it meant less escrow at the end of the season.

I think it’s going to look awful and it’s going to take a while to get used to it but we will get used to it eventually. Maybe to get ready we should all start watching more Spengler Cup highlights where the jerseys look like Nascar. At the end of the day the NHL wants to make money and doesn’t really care what you think, and jersey ads are another way for them to do that (both make money AND not care what you think). 

For me it’s Ales Hemsky’s goal immediately following Patrik Stefan missing the empty net. That was just so crazy I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.

Two that seem to stick out for me are Jordan Eberle’s first ever goal against the Flames, because it was so fantastic, and Georges Laraque’s hat-trick goal because he went nuts afterwards. Ah, while I’m at it, Todd Marchant in OT. Those three stick out. My personal fav was Big Georges. I have a soft spot for tough guys scoring goals.

I will probably forever remember Pisani’s shorthanded OT goal vividly. Every time I think of that goal I immediately go back to my old apartment, to exactly where I was standing and can hear my old roommate running in with concern because he thought I had gotten into some kind of horrific accident by the way I shrieked with joy! It was a really great time in my life personally, and it was during the magical run of ’06, so it will always hold a very special place in my heart.

Close call between the stunning Steve Smith own-goal and Todd Marchant’s playoff winner against Dallas. I pick those because both involved huge upsets.

The Kevin McClelland goal. I know it isn’t a sexy name, but that goal—and that game—represented something incredible. Winning the Stanley that year was possibly the most satisfying moment for me as an Oilers fan and the McClelland goal (combined with the brilliant shutuot that night by Grant Fuhr) was a watershed moment.

Steve Mcintyre’s goal in Washington. It was priceless to see his reaction! I loved it!

I’ll always remember Fernando’s shorthanded OT winner. I was in a bar with some buddies and when he scored my friend launched a half full pitcher of beer skyward and it sprayed down our whole side of the bar. Nobody cared though because everyone was too busy losing their minds over what had just happened. 

I have to go with Bob Cole, because that’s the voice I hear in my head when I think of hockey; I don’t think you ever forget the guy you listened to growing up. IF there’s a call that sticks in my mind it was the lead-up to Fernando Pisani’s Game Five goal against Carolina in 2006. The Oilers were on the PK and dumped the puck in (or something similar) and Cole said, “They have time to kill now, folks. Time to kill now.” It just captured the intensity of that moment perfectly.

Rick Jeanneret. Nobody lost his marbles so flamboyantly as he did. Honestly, just pick a clip, sit back, and enjoy.

I feel like he’s started to lose his touch a little over the last few years here, but who doesn’t love Bob Cole? I’m sure we all used to sit around the TV as kids on Saturday night, watching Hockey Night In Canada. He was the voice of Canadian hockey for GENERATIONS!

It was Jim Robson for me growing up in Vancouver but overall it’s Rod Phillips. Working with him aside, his voice just drips with passion. Rod made so many great calls, but one that sticks with me is the Hemsky goal from Samsonov against Detroit in the 2006 playoffs. Listen to his voice break when he says “Ales” and the “oooohhhh, a miracle goal.” Mercy.

Rod Phillips, no question. Pick any in the 1980s and I’d rank them all equally.

Rod Phillips! Not even close. Loved when he called fights and goals!

My obvious favourite is Rod Phillips. I used to love listening to him get mad when things weren’t going well because he would always tell it like it is. I also love Bob Cole and grew up on the calls he’s made. I mean really, who hasn’t copied Bob Cole saying “ohhhh baby” at one point or another.

Probably the Anaheim Ducks. Don’t get me wrong, “Mighty Ducks of Anaheim” was pretty awful, too, but at least it was unique.

WORST TEAM NAME: Calgary Flames SUGGESTED CHANGE: Seattle Flames

I’ve never really been a fan of the Blue Jackets. It’s literally talking about a piece of clothing! OH NO LOOK AT THOSE JACKETS MARCHING TOWARD US! I’M SHAKING IN MY BOOTS!! According to Wikipedia the state reptile is a fearsome looking snake called the Black Racer! The Columbus Racers would be way better IMO. Or they could always go with the Columbus Rock ’N Roll Hall Of Fames!

Anaheim Ducks. Is there a more passive bird?

Anaheim Ducks. I’d change it to something normal.

The Ducks — never liked it. I would change it to the Mallards. That is a tough name.

There are a few teams with horrible names. The Ducks have taking a beating already so I’ll leave them alone. The Wild is a stupid name and I’d change that to something infinitely less stupid like the “Minnesota Hockey Team.” At least that makes more sense than the Wild.