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

Don Blake

@SportsThor

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

 Edmonton
Joined July 2019
  • Tweets34.9K
  • Following793
  • Followers1.2K
One thing I like about Cam Moon is that he doesn’t test the gods by naming a shutout before the buzzer. I have no idea why Stauffer doesn’t do the TV colour. He even helps Michaels be passable.
1
6
241
Need another look: Howard-Draisaitl-Podkolzin Hyman-McDavid-Savoie Dach-RNH-Kapanen Frederic-Dickinson-Joseph …so players like Howard and Dach have opportunities, and you have an alternate attack against teams that can shut down McDrai and dominate the other 3 lines.
Dyl (@dhockey13) profile pictureDyl@dhockey1320h
The Oilers do not have the depth to constantly play McDavid and Drai together I know we have a winning record but this won’t be sustainable. With all the injuries we have all it takes is for a team to shut down the top line and it’s a guaranteed loss. Babcock needs to split them.
3
1
19
2,215
This game has definitively shown so far that Jarry >>> Sorokin.
1
1
25
952
Man… 😢 Klefbom-Bouchard Ekholm- Broberg-
Sid 🇨🇦 (@NHL_Sid) profile pictureSid 🇨🇦@NHL_Sid22h
I still think about you 💔
Image from Sid 🇨🇦 (@NHL_Sid)
4
2
97
3,729
Not a chance.
AllHustleNoHands (@stevezieskidoo) profile pictureAllHustleNoHands@stevezieskidooOct 31
Assuming he would extend here, would you trade Bouchard for Kucherov?
7
280
I would assume Shea was mostly Parkatti and Murphy was mostly Bowman. Emberson was probably Knob. Curious who wanted Walman and Muk.
Sid 🇨🇦 (@NHL_Sid) profile pictureSid 🇨🇦@NHL_SidOct 29
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.
Image from Sid 🇨🇦 (@NHL_Sid)
4
16
4,239
Don Blake retweeted
Woodguy (@Woodguy55) profile picture
Woodguy@Woodguy55Oct 29
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.
1
2
1
43
7,152
I would put Howard on the powerplay before Kapanen.
5
3
49
2,097
Don Blake retweeted
Dennis King (@DKingBH) profile picture
Dennis King@DKingBHOct 29
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
Image from Dennis King (@DKingBH)
1
10
1,413
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 🐸☕️
10
3
1
58
5,880
This is a smart move by the coaching staff.
Blue Bullet Brad (@BlueBullet1981) profile pictureBlue Bullet Brad@BlueBullet1981Oct 29
First 8 games, Bouchard played 72.5% of his 5x5 minutes with McDavid. Last 5 games, it is down to 63.6%.
1
1
28
1,562
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.
Dennis King (@DKingBH) profile pictureDennis King@DKingBHOct 28
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
4
1
21
979
Don Blake retweeted
Sid 🇨🇦 (@NHL_Sid) profile picture
Sid 🇨🇦@NHL_SidOct 28
New Post: Figuring out Isaac Howard ⬇️ 🔗 the97thpercentile.substack.c…
Image from Sid 🇨🇦 (@NHL_Sid)
7
23
8
132
16,714
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.
Dennis King (@DKingBH) profile pictureDennis King@DKingBHOct 27
I do like this about Babcock. Ice-time is the only leverage you have over players and Walman needs to be better
5
1
1
32
2,393
We all do.
Sumit Tripathi (@Sumit_Tripathi_) profile pictureSumit Tripathi@Sumit_Tripathi_Oct 27
Babs goes to sleep the moment Famous Five are off the ice.
1
11
330
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
6
50
3,074
My idea for fixing the bottom 6: Frederic-Dach-Howard Formenton-Michaels-Joseph Kapanen-RNH-Hyman Podkolzin-McDavid-Draisaitl
22
18
2
1,233
34,683
Jarry for Larkin. Who says no?
1
1
1
17
692
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.
4
57
1,224
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.
Bob Stauffer (@Bob_Stauffer) profile pictureBob Stauffer
@Bob_StaufferOct 26
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
5
3
67
4,005
Load more