TALKING POINTS: Hitchcock talks Kassian, team checking and defence

Q:Zack (Kassian) said not to read too much into the top line. I'm not sure what that means?
A: There is lots to read. We need the line to spend more time on the forecheck in the offensive zone. More time in the offensive zone with possession. If we're going to play (Kyle) Brodziak the double-digit minutes we got, we're going to need more skill and speed, so it's a good trade for us. (Ty) Rattie's playing well and he offers skill and speed to that (fourth) line. Kassian is going to bang bodies and create some space and room that we need. Connor's line is not going to be effective on the road if it's just a rush attack line. It's going to have to grind and generate chances off the forecheck. Kassian is very good at that. He's got a smart stick, he's got a good angle as a player and he's physical as hell on the puck, which is good. Kyle, if we're going to play him that way, we need someone who can control the puck and play with some tempo and that's where Rattie's at.

TUESDAY PRACTICE COVERAGE
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OILERS TODAY | New Year's Day
RAW | Petrovic
RAW | Jones
RAW | Brodziak
RAW | Oilers Head Coach Ken Hitchcock
BLOGS & ARTICLES
BLOG: Hitchcock promotes Kassian to top line
BLOG: Petrovic skates off hometown jitters
BLOG: 2020 NHL All-Star Game announced
GENE'S BLOG: New Year's Resolutions
Q: Based on what you're talking about from last night, needing some scoring from different lines or sprinkling talent throughout the roster or?
A: It's not scoring. Our problem isn't scoring. Our problem is that we don't stop the balance of the group. If you're not scoring, it's OK. They go through phases like that. We've got enough guys that can score goals. When you got three or four guys that score for you on a consistent basis, if they're once in a while or binge scorers then it's a problem. But these guys are consistent. We got to do a better job of limiting the chances on the back end of our lineup. Way too many in-zone scoring chances, way too many red zone scoring chances. We got to stop that if we want to win hockey games. We're right on the edge of it. We got a lot of things that are really going well from a play standpoint but we give up way too many red zone scoring chances too deep down our lineup. They got to get better in our own zone so we're not giving up the quality we're giving up right now.
Q:As a counter to that, you've been outshot a lot, in eight of your last nine games. Does that start in the defensive end because you're not efficiently getting it out and transporting it up ice?
A: Not necessarily in the defensive end, but it certainly starts on our side of the red line. So, the way we're managing the puck, on the back end of our lineup, we're putting too much risk into things. There was a play in the third period when we were in what we call 'critical ice.' It's just inside our blueline. We turned it over four times and they ended up with five shots on goal because of it and three no-brainers. Three one-timers. That puts us in all kinds of heat. To me, you go through phases. If you're not scoring, it's OK. But you got to lower the risk. What we're doing is we're going the other way. The back end of our group is increasing the risk trying to score and in the end, it's ending up in the back of our net or certainly quality scoring chances. That third-period shift for me typifies what we're trying to do. We're trying to force offence when we don't have to. We can keep the risk low and keep managing the game properly. We did it when it was 3-3. You can't do that.

Q: You like Leon (Draisaitl) at centre but he was with Connor. Why was that?
A: The idea is that if we want to build a team that plays properly the right way, then when we spread it out, we got everybody looking for offence whereas I would rather have it salted in one area and then everybody else checks. If we check, we'll be fine because we're scoring enough goals to win hockey games. Offence isn't the problem. Checking is the problem. We're getting better and better and better at it. We had a great video session today, we had another good practice and we're getting better. I know it doesn't show up on the scoreboard. We're a .500 team. It doesn't' matter how you get there. You win six, you lose six, we're still .500. We know that nine or 10 over is what it's going to take to get into the playoffs. It's more than doable for us if we get better defensively. But it's not going to be doable if we don't get better defensively. What I mean by that is our problems defensively are the way we manage the puck. When we split everybody up, now we got three lines playing risky hockey and it doesn't work. This way, we get, hopefully, some conservative and smart play and manage the game properly. Then our big guys have to score.
Q: (Kailer) Yamamoto didn't skate today?
A: He is questionable to doubtful for tomorrow. (Alex) Chiasson skated today and will skate with the team tomorrow. Hopefully, he'll be ready to play in Los Angeles. (Kris) Russell will skate with the team tomorrow and well see if he's going to play in Los Angeles or Phoenix.
Q: What did you think of your two new defencemen (Alex Petrovic and Brandon Manning) and is there anything that you want to see from them to get acclimated here over the next little while.
A:On Petro, he had a tough assignment. He did a heck of a job. He played 20 minutes and played against Scheifele's line and that was a hard match. I thought he did a really good job. He has to make an adjustment on things that are going on with the way they exit the puck, which is different than what we do. We worked on him hard.
Manning is good. Manning, who hadn't played in a while, we needed a practice today just to get him to calm down because he just wants to kill everybody. In the end, it's going to be good for us. I thought yesterday, if he was guilty of anything, it was chasing contact. We just talked to him today and said calm down and play your position but he's so anxious because he hasn't played in a while.

Q: (Joe) Gambardella was good for two periods but you didn't play him in the third?
A: No, I didn't play him in the third but I like what he brings. He's got big energy and obviously, he's going to get a regular shift tomorrow.
Q: Do you see signs with (Caleb) Jones, you talked about when guys come up they maybe get that NHL bump-
A: Not signs. I see a hell of a player.
Q: So, it's not about just having arrived in the NHL but it looks sustainable?
A: I see a hell of a player. I told you guys and ladies this at the start. There's something that's uncoachable and that's calmness under fire. When you see him under hard pressure, he makes a calm play. That's hard to teach. You got that or you don't have it. He's got it. It's a great quality because it's a quality he's going to carry for the rest of his life.
Q: Left side or right side, does it matter (with Jones)?
A: We were going to do some flipping on this trip but in talking to Trent (Yawney), I think he would prefer that he stay on the left side for right now. They worked with him all year in Bakersfield on the right, so it's either way. I think Trent wants to work with him on the left right now. He's a great addition for us.