Monday Mailbag – Why is the Oilers’ PK so bad?

With another round of practice retirement in the books, we’re all back at work looking for ways to kill time until we can go home again. As always, the Mailbag is here to not only help you get to quitting time a little bit faster but to also teach you a little something. Free, time-wasting learning? You’ve gotta like that. As always, I need questions and if there’s something you’d like to ask, email it to me at baggedmilk@oilersnation.com or hit me up on Twitter at @jsbmbaggedmilk. Have a good week, everyone.

To me, the group isn’t committed enough to consistency. One game it is bad reads to give open look. One game average goaltending. Another game they don’t get puck out when they have a chance, thus extending the PP in the offensive zone and eventually a breakdown occurs. Players like Klefbom, Larsson, Russell, Nurse, RNH and Kassian kill a lot of penalties. The group needs to hold one another accountable and say enough is enough. RNH is in his 8^th NHL season. Being 37% in the faceoff on the PK isn’t good enough. He like the D-men need to take more pride in their play on the PK.

Good question, and one I’ve asked myself many times without coming up with an answer. One thing that sticks out for me is the Oilers are guilty of puck-watching too often — at even strength and shorthanded. That’s bad at anytime, but particularly costly when you’re down a man and the opponent sneaks a guy to open ice. Not something I’ve dissected with video or anything, but it’s something I’ve noticed.

It’s extremely frustrating. Especially when we are losing games strictly because of the PK. On a technical aspect, I really can’t tell you why we suck, I just feel your pain.

The penalty kill is like sniffing farts. Even if you like the way it’s going, everyone else is judging you.

I don’t think it matter much. If they want to re-sign him they will before July 1^st. I’d play Koskinen as much as possible down the stretch. In his last 12 starts he’s had 10 good ones and two stinkers. I might lean towards a more veteran backup at $1.3 mill than Stolarz at $800,000. They don’t need Stolarz and a veteran backup, because they have Shane Starrett in the AHL and he will be the starter with one of Wells/Skinner as the backup.

Not particularly worried about it, although I’d like to get a better idea of if he can play and might be worth re-signing either as RFA or UFA. I’m not worried about where or if Stolarz fits in the top-four of organizational goaltenders — two in the NHL, two in the AHL — as much as I am about the lack of experience in net with the Oilers. Koskinen and Stolarz don’t add up to enough games in my mind.

 

I think Stolarz would be easy enough to sign ourselves as a UFA if need be this summer. I’m torn on the subject, I think we need a more experienced backup, however Stolarz seems like a good goalie prospect to have. With that said, we already have a few good goalie prospects, so I’m not sure if we’re loading too much up with them.

Meh. I think with Koskinen as your starter you’ll need an experienced backup, and I don’t necessarily think Stolarz is that guy.

Manning can’t play. The fact Chiarelli and Hitchcock thought he could is so damning it is amazing to me. The play in which McDavid got hurt means very little to me since it wasn’t on purpose, but I still vote for Manning/McDavid because the insanity displayed by a GM and HC in thinking Manning could actually play and was a better option than Kevin Gravel. That is insanely bad player evaluation from them.

Manning because the Oilers didn’t need him. Gagner and Kassian happened a long time ago and Gagner filled a need with the Oilers, so there wasn’t anything “bizarre” about that move in my mind.

Number three for sure. This has been the oddest year ever and those two extra story lines are hilarious. Between the two, I think the Manning/McDavid situation is definitely more odd because the tension got carried over to the next season and future games. I can’t remember if the Kassian one did as well.

The fact that both of these things happened in the same season is the most Oilers thing I’ve ever seen, but to answer the question, the Brandon Manning storyline is stranger because he’s not even playing in the AHL.

Those hits were direct headshots. I have no issue with the suspensions. I have an issue with the fact the league won’t call regular infractions against skill players. Just call the damn rule book.

Not happy with player safety. There isn’t enough consistency in their rulings and they’re not handing out two-game suspensions like crazy. Several suspension-worthy hits have been overlooked while some borderline calls have resulted in suspensions. Still trying to find a standard and not doing a very good job of it.

It’s easy for them to get carried away and have it snow ball. I understand their intentions to crack down on head contacts, but if you start to do it, you have to go all-in which will get them in trouble. I just want consistency whether they go all-in or not.

All I want is consistency. Until the NHL can figure that out then they’ll look like a joke. #SuspendTheMall

I never saw a fist bump, but I also would never spend more than two seconds watching a video of The Squire. Anyone who gives themselves a nickname is not trustworthy.

When Jay wears his Johnny Gaudreau onesy with the J-Hockey namebar in the privacy or his own home, that’s one thing, but his public displays of fandom for the Flames isn’t acceptable. I’m not mad. I’m disappointed.

I think it’s absolutely hilarious because this whole scenario is happening to Jay. I know how much he hates the Flames, and for him of all people to be caught on camera (twice) is too perfect. I do think Jay needs to be punished for his actions by a jury of his peers.

Jay is a traitor and we need to make sure that he never forgets it.

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