Oh Canada

Can't be the penz, they don't exist here, unless crosbys sporting a red maple leaf.

 

McDavid frustrated, 'sick of losing' with Oilers
Center wants teammates to buy in, work toward common goal of making playoffs
by Nicholas J. Cotsonika @cotsonika / NHL.com Columnist
September 7th, 2018


CHICAGO -- The feeling turns the stomach of Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid.

"You've just got to be sick of losing," he said at the NHL Player Media Tour on Thursday.

Two seasons ago, the losing seemed to be cured in Edmonton.



[RELATED: Oilers season preview | McDavid aims to score more with Oilers]



McDavid won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL scoring champion with 100 points (30 goals, 70 assists) and the Hart Trophy as the most valuable player, and the Oilers made the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in 11 years.

They came within one win of the Western Conference Final, taking the Anaheim Ducks to seven games in the second round.

Then came last season.

Though McDavid won the Art Ross for the second straight year, this time with 108 points (41 goals, 67 assists), the Oilers missed the playoffs. They finished 17 points behind the Colorado Avalanche for the second wild card in the West.

"You kind of experience both ends of the spectrum, where we had such a good season and last year we weren't even close," McDavid said. "So definitely a lot more fun to be winning games and to experience that culture. I think everyone kind of understands where we went wrong last year, and I think at some point it just becomes a competitive thing."

Coming off their deep playoff run, the Oilers were complacent. They went 1-4-0 in their first five games. By Nov. 21, following an 8-3 loss at the St. Louis Blues, they were 7-12-2.

"We had such a bad start," McDavid said. "We put ourselves behind the eight ball."

The Oilers went 10-5-0 in their next 15 games. When they left for Christmas break, they were still in the playoff race. But after they returned, they went 1-6-1 in their next eight.

"All of a sudden, you're out of it again," McDavid said. "And then we had a couple injuries and whatnot. It's tough to battle back. Obviously there is a bit of a snowball effect. Especially as you get later and later and your time starts going against you, it can get frustrating."

The Oilers shook up coach Todd McLellan's staff, replacing assistants Jim Johnson, Jay Woodcroft and Ian Herbers with Glen Gulutzan, Trent Yawney and Manny Viveiros.

But they made few roster changes in the offseason, signing center Kyle Brodziak, forward Tobias Rieder, goaltender Mikko Koskinen and defenseman Kevin Gravel.

Defenseman Andrej Sekera, who missed 46 games last season because of a torn knee ligament, is out indefinitely because of a torn Achilles tendon.

Unless general manager Peter Chiarelli makes a major move, the Oilers must get more out of the same players. Forward Milan Lucic went from 23 goals in 2016-17 to 10 last season; he must be better. Goaltender Cam Talbot went from a .919 save percentage to a .908; he must be better. And so on.

McDavid made headlines by saying he wants to score more. But he can't do it alone, and goals aren't the goal, anyway.

"Obviously I get paid to score and create chances, and that's what I have to do," McDavid said. "But just at the same time, I have to be able to be responsible defensively, good on face-offs, all the little things that coaches love and that win games. I think that's the main thing. You want to win hockey games, and it doesn't really matter how you do it."

How can the Oilers win more with the talent they have?

"I think you've just got to have everyone buy in, working towards a common goal," McDavid said. "Doesn't matter who gets the credit. Really doesn't. Just got to win games. You've just got to find ways to win games.

"And I think you look at any team … I mean, look at Washington. [The Capitals] win the Cup. They have so much talent, and they just looked like they had so much fun together, and they were just riding the wave, and everyone was going, and everyone was having a good time. I think that's the key to success, is just have everyone moving in one direction and no one cares about anything else."

McDavid said he can see his teammates are sick of losing too.

"I've been in Edmonton about a week, and you can really feel, just in and around the room, it's just a different mindset," McDavid said. "It's a different intensity, and guys are ready to go."

 

Habs just got worse in the scoring dept today.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/canucks-brock-boeser-not-worried-about-contract/c-300082428?tid=277548856

 

Oh baby! Karlsson off to sunny San Jose for picks and prospects.

 

This is so bad for the franchise as a whole. Not so much what they received in return, but how and why it got to this point.
To put this into perspective as a leaf fan, it would be like cutting ties with Matthews over $1M per year. Then trading him away for insignifigant pieces.

How do they survive this with their fanbase? Just a bloody nightmare to be a sens fan these days.

 

Sens starting a tank job early. Someone should remind them that they still don’t have their own 1st round pick.

For SJ this trade seems similar to the Joe Thornton heist. Acquire a dollar for a quarter, couple dimes and some pennies.

 

Sens are kapoot, let's see an exodus now from some of their top lines.

Nords waiting in the wings as eugene loses his shit.

 

Melnyk swears their staying in Ottawa.

 

For now

 

could the Sens really fold and opening the door for them to move to Quebec or Hamilton? I don't know much about the Sens like revenue and attendance, but i do know they haven't been good lately and that trade yesterday was awful.

 

APB: Red, white and gold tank. No driver. Last seen aimlessly wandering the suburbs of Ottawa City. Not considered armed or dangerous. Responds to “hey Hens!” and “Senatards”. If found, please return to Mr Melnyk.

I hope my trench in the ditch is deep enough.

 

Quebecs ready anytime.

 

McDavid will 'absolutely torch this league,' Oilers teammate says: report
Center adds speed to already high-paced, high-scoring game
NHL.com @NHL
September 15th, 2018


Connor McDavid didn't look like he could get any faster. But according to his Edmonton Oilers teammates, he has, and he is on the verge of a spectacular season.

"He's going to absolutely torch this league," Oilers forward Ryan Strome told Sportsnet in remarks published Saturday. "I thought I was lucky playing with John Tavares (with the New York Islanders), and I was. He's one of my best friends. And then I got to experience it on another level with Connor."

McDavid will be trying to lead the NHL in scoring for a third straight season. The center said this offseason one of his goals is to score more goals than the 41 he had last season. He had 67 assists for 108 points, eight more than he had the season before.

Strome said McDavid entered training camp looking ready to do even better this season. He would be the first player to lead the NHL in scoring three striaght seasons since Jaromir Jagr did so in four straight from 1997-2001 with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

"He has literally elevated his game to another level. From here, to here," Strome said. "I don't even know how he does it."



McDavid's 40th goal, 100th point

• 00:24 • March 27th, 2018

Despite McDavid reaching his NHL career high in points, Edmonton fell 25 points in the standings and did not qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They have made it once in the past 12 seasons (2016-17).

"We definitely get a sense from the fans and the media, and we're just as eager as [they] are, inside the room," McDavid said. "We want to get this thing going, get moving in the right direction. Put last year to rest and stop having to talk about it. Having to answer questions about it."

The Oilers believe that with McDavid on the roster and about to start the first season of an eight-year, $100 million contract extension he signed July 5, 2017, they will return to the playoffs and eventually will win the Stanley Cup.

"You look at those players: Sidney Crosby, [Evgeni] Malkin, Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews … when you have those players, it feels like it's only a matter of time before you win a Cup," Oilers defenseman Oscar Klefbom said. "They have so much influence on the game, and all [their teammates], they have so much respect for them. They do so much for the game. That's what I feel when I'm on the ice with Connor."


Sportsnet ✔ @Sportsnet


“It is a mortal sin to miss the playoffs with Connor McDavid.”

The superstar is doing his part to make sure it doesn't happen again.

(Via @SportsnetSpec)https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/mcdavid-even-faster-ready-carry-oilers-redemption-2018-19/ …

8:05 AM - Sep 15, 2018





McDavid even faster, ready to carry Oilers to redemption in 2018-19
Bad news, hockey world. In a season where Connor McDavid opened by stating he is focused on scoring more goals in 2018-19, something else happened over the summer. He got even faster.

sportsnet.ca