Don Blake (@SportsThor) header
Don Blake (@SportsThor) profile picture

Norse god, Leon Draisaitl #1, Patron Deity of Matthias Hans Ekholm, 🦬👑 Loyalist, Sports Fan, and “Better analyst than Mark Spector”

Edmonton
Joined July 2019
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I would assume Shea was mostly Parkatti and Murphy was mostly Bowman. Emberson was probably Knob. Curious who wanted Walman and Muk.
Here's how Edmonton's defencemen rank using the new Box WAR model at HockeyStats.com. It's a bit low on Emberson, but otherwise matches my eye-test. Shea has played well, Muk has looked better recently. Still concerned about Murphy and Walman.
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Don Blake retweeted
Replying to @bcurlock
Every time they get away from the short break out passes over the years they kill their offense and spend too much time on defense.
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I would put Howard on the powerplay before Kapanen.
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Don Blake retweeted
Last eight games of Shea/Murphy: 0/4 GF/GA in 119 min. Is this a byproduct of not getting min with the top line? Sure. So an indictment on the absence of depth post super line? Also, yes. I also think it's a clue to how you could help Shea spearhead some offense on his own
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Alex Formenton plays the boards the same way all the “unengaged” “soft”“perimeter” skill players do without any of the point production. Many of you ran a perennial 50-60 point Jordan Eberle out of town for less. And Eberle’s behaviour at the World Juniors was heroic 🐸☕️
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This is a smart move by the coaching staff.
First 8 games, Bouchard played 72.5% of his 5x5 minutes with McDavid. Last 5 games, it is down to 63.6%.
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Pretty depressing that we seem to have a cheaper version of the Nurse problem in Walman, with the caveat that Walman has been a decent playoff performer.
When you bring him back, play him with Bouch, Ekholm or Shea. It doesn't look like it's gonna work with him and Murphy or him and Emberson
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Don Blake retweeted
New Post: Figuring out Isaac Howard ⬇️ 🔗 the97thpercentile.substack.c…
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Sure, but, as always, when coaches aren’t using analytical measures to inform these decisions, they look arbitrary. No way that Formenton-Michaels-Joseph should be getting the TOI they’ve received.
I do like this about Babcock. Ice-time is the only leverage you have over players and Walman needs to be better
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We all do.
Babs goes to sleep the moment Famous Five are off the ice.
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Imagine losing 7-2 to your former team and then losing to your other former team in a shootout. Babcock has lost the room. #FireBabcock
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My idea for fixing the bottom 6: Frederic-Dach-Howard Formenton-Michaels-Joseph Kapanen-RNH-Hyman Podkolzin-McDavid-Draisaitl
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Jarry for Larkin. Who says no?
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As Woodcroft taught us, the only way McDrai works is if the lineup is 11-7 and you double shift one of 29-97 rather than overplay the first line.
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Not surprising really but Babcock is gonna be stubborn and stupid rather than listen to the analytics. The data is in: that third line should not be a thing and McDrai is not reducing McDrai’s ice time—it’s just exposing the rest of the lineup.
The @EdmontonOilers morning skate: Podkolzin-McDavid-Draisaitl Kapanen-RNH-Hyman Formenton-Michaels-Joseph Frederic-Dach-Howard Jones-Hallander Mukhamadullin-Bouchard Shea-Murphy Walman-Emberson Ekholm-Dickinson* Jarry
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Bowman needs to make a trade for Mark Scheifele ASAP.
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Imagine losing 7-2 to your former team. Babcock has lost the room. #FireBabcock
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My word… this is so not it. I get Babcock trying to maintain some stability with the line combinations after Knob’s rollercoaster but pushing Frederic and Howard out over Formenton and Jones is just wrong.
The @EdmontonOilers practice: Podkolzin-McDavid-Draisaitl Kapanen-RNH-Hyman Formenton-Michaels-Joseph Jones-Dach-Hallander Howard-Frederic Mukhamadullin-Bouchard Shea-Murphy Walman-Emberson Dickinson Jarry
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Hearing Scheifele to the Oilers is the next shoe to drop.
Hellebuyck return: Mercer Command Daws Bjugstad 2nd 2029 7th 2027
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Levi has so far shown a great mental perspective in his interviews.
“If I let in 1 or if I let in 7, I know the team still has a chance. So I’m just doing everything I can to stop the next one.” Devon ‘embrace oilers chaos’ Levi
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