<p>Welcome back to Ask Dubey, Episode Three! You guys have been firing in <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/ask-dubey-crowd-chanting-goalie-name-nhl">fantastic questions</a>. Keep them rolling, because I&#8217;m loving every minute of this.</p>
<p>What a first round we just had! The Oilers are moving on, and that&#8217;s obviously the headline here, but talk about drama. Two Game 7s, including a double-overtime thriller. Now that&#8217;s playoff hockey.</p>
<p></p>
<h2><span data-slate-fragment="JTVCJTdCJTIydHlwZSUyMiUzQSUyMnBhcmFncmFwaCUyMiUyQyUyMmNoaWxkcmVuJTIyJTNBJTVCJTdCJTIydGV4dCUyMiUzQSUyMlF1ZXN0aW9uJTNBJTIwVGVsbCUyMHVzJTIwd2hhdCUyMHlvdSUyMHRob3VnaHQlMjBvZiUyMERhcmN5JTIwS3VlbXBlcidzJTIwcGxheSUyMGR1cmluZyUyMEVkbW9udG9uJ3MlMjBmaXJzdC1yb3VuZCUyMHNlcmllcyUyMHdpdGglMjB0aGUlMjBMb3MlMjBBbmdlbGVzJTIwS2luZ3MuJTIwV2hhdCUyMGRpZCUyMHRoZSUyME9pbGVycyUyMGRvJTIwdG8lMjBnZXQlMjB0byUyMHRoaXMlMjB2ZXRlcmFuJTIwZ29hbHRlbmRlciUzRiUyMCUyMiU3RCU1RCU3RCU1RA==">Tell us what you thought of Darcy Kuemper&#8217;s play during Edmonton&#8217;s first-round series with the Los Angeles Kings. What did the Oilers do to get to this veteran goaltender?</span></h2>
<p>Great question. But honestly, I wouldn&#8217;t say the Oilers got to Darcy Kuemper directly. I think they got to the <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/los-angeles-kings-arrogance-cost-them-against-edmonton-oilers">LA Kings</a> as a team. Kuemper was the main reason these games weren&#8217;t absolute blowouts. He was fantastic throughout the series.</p>
<p>After Game 1, I wondered if that Oilers&#8217; comeback might shake him up, maybe plant a seed of doubt. But he bounced back strong in Game 2, even though Edmonton didn&#8217;t challenge him as much because LA played well defensively.</p>
<p>Then came Games 3 and 4 (especially the early periods), and Kuemper was outstanding. In Game 5, he was unbelievable. The only reason that game didn&#8217;t end up 6-1 was Kuemper standing on his head. Fortunately for the Oilers, they kept pressing. They stayed creative, generating chance after chance, especially in overtime. Kuemper was dialled in, stopping almost everything.</p>
<p>But even the best goalies can&#8217;t keep that up forever. Imagine making ten highlight-reel saves in overtime and still losing. Imagine doing everything possible to steal Game 5, and again coming up short. That can wear you down. That can deflate you.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">DARCY KUEMPER SAVES THE GAME<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoKingsGo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoKingsGo</a> <a href="https://t.co/pehacNjNjI">pic.twitter.com/pehacNjNjI</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights &amp; News (@HockeyDaily365) <a href="https://twitter.com/HockeyDaily365/status/1916716084352241948?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Maybe in Game 6, a bit of doubt crept in. Suddenly, one or two pucks sneak through early. It&#8217;s 2-2, then quickly 3-2 Oilers. That makes it tough mentally. You feel like you&#8217;ve already given your absolute best, and yet you&#8217;re behind again.</p>
<p>Gradually, more shots started finding their way past him. Not necessarily bad goals, but pucks that hadn&#8217;t gone in before were suddenly going in. Eventually, Edmonton scored six and won the series.</p>
<p>Bottom line: Darcy Kuemper was incredible. He was the only reason overtime didn&#8217;t end quickly, the only reason Game 5 stayed close, and the only reason Oilers fans had anything to worry about. Great effort from Kuemper. Even better effort from <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/oilers-improved-against-kings-first-round-series">Edmonton</a>.</p>
<h2><span data-slate-fragment="JTVCJTdCJTIydHlwZSUyMiUzQSUyMnBhcmFncmFwaCUyMiUyQyUyMmNoaWxkcmVuJTIyJTNBJTVCJTdCJTIydGV4dCUyMiUzQSUyMlF1ZXN0aW9uJTNBJTIwQmFzZWQlMjBvbiUyMGhvdyUyMHlvdSUyMHdlcmUlMjBjb2FjaGVkJTJDJTIwd2hhdCUyMGtpbmQlMjBvZiUyMHNjZW5hcmlvJTIwc2hvdWxkJTIwZmFucyUyMGJlJTIwbW9yZSUyMGZvcmdpdmluZyUyMHdpdGglMjB0aGUlMjBnb2FsaWVzJTIwb24lM0YlMjIlN0QlNUQlN0QlNUQ=">Question: As a former goalie yourself, and based on how you were coached, what kind of scenarios should fans be more forgiving about when judging goalies?</span></h2>
<p>I’ll admit, I&#8217;m a goalie, so I’m always going to side with my guys. I know that&#8217;s probably not the answer you&#8217;re after, but hear me out.</p>
<p>Hockey today is insanely fast and skilled. Players skate quicker, shoot harder, and make plays that seem impossible. When a puck goes straight in, everyone jumps on the goalie. But there&#8217;s usually way more to the story.</p>
<p>Think about Skinner in the first-round series. Early on, he faced chances where guys like Fiala or Kempe were flying across the ice, east-to-west, at full speed. These aren&#8217;t just good chances, they&#8217;re elite scoring opportunities from top shooters. Sure, from the couch it might look easy, but trust me, it&#8217;s not.</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s what happens when the team struggles defensively: As a goalie, you start losing trust in what&#8217;s happening in front of you. Instead of calmly reading the play, you start guessing. You think, &#8220;Is he passing? Shooting? Where do I need to go next?&#8221;</p>
<p>Instead of staying patient and square, you start cheating, anticipating plays. Your feet get restless. You drift backward into your crease. Suddenly, you&#8217;re off-balance, your feet aren&#8217;t set, and shots start slipping through that usually wouldn&#8217;t.</p>
<p>Now, I&#8217;m not saying goalies never make mistakes, of course we do. But before you blame the goalie, take a closer look at the replay. Watch for subtle things, like a quick screen, a slight deflection, or a stick interfering with the shot. Sometimes, if the shooter is partially hidden for even a split second, that&#8217;s all it takes. The puck is already flying before the goalie even sees it leave the stick.</p>
<p>Take Connor Hellebuyck&#8217;s second goal recently. Fans see it as a bad goal, but look again. The shooter comes down the wing full speed, and just as he&#8217;s releasing, the puck ramps off a stick. Suddenly, a predictable high-glove shot becomes a tricky blocker-side deflection. Those tiny details matter.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">THE BLUES SCORED 4 GOALS ON CONNOR HELLEBUYCK IN THE SECOND PERIOD ALONE 😱 <a href="https://t.co/zP4EvovS2M">pic.twitter.com/zP4EvovS2M</a></p>
<p>&mdash; SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1918485512517476802?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>So yes, be mad at your goalie sometimes. It&#8217;s natural. But remember, these are elite athletes playing an incredibly difficult position. They&#8217;re working hard, fighting through screens, tracking pucks, and dealing with chaos on every shift.</p>
<p>Next time you watch, look closer. Notice the little things. It might just change your view of what a &#8220;bad goal&#8221; really is.</p>
<hr />
<h2 class="mb-5 text-2xl font-bold"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuiMOMMOvIc">Watch Ask Dubey on Oilersnation’s YouTube channel…</a></h2>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Ask Dubey: The Edmonton Oilers rematch with the Knights + Game 7 Chaos | Episode 3" width="1424" height="801" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nuiMOMMOvIc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

Welcome back to Ask Dubey, Episode Three! You guys have been firing in <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/ask-dubey-crowd-chanting-goalie-name-nhl">fantastic questions</a>. Keep them rolling, because I'm loving every minute of this.

What a first round we just had! The Oilers are moving on, and that's obviously the headline here, but talk about drama. Two Game 7s, including a double-overtime thriller. Now that's playoff hockey.


<h2><span data-slate-fragment="JTVCJTdCJTIydHlwZSUyMiUzQSUyMnBhcmFncmFwaCUyMiUyQyUyMmNoaWxkcmVuJTIyJTNBJTVCJTdCJTIydGV4dCUyMiUzQSUyMlF1ZXN0aW9uJTNBJTIwVGVsbCUyMHVzJTIwd2hhdCUyMHlvdSUyMHRob3VnaHQlMjBvZiUyMERhcmN5JTIwS3VlbXBlcidzJTIwcGxheSUyMGR1cmluZyUyMEVkbW9udG9uJ3MlMjBmaXJzdC1yb3VuZCUyMHNlcmllcyUyMHdpdGglMjB0aGUlMjBMb3MlMjBBbmdlbGVzJTIwS2luZ3MuJTIwV2hhdCUyMGRpZCUyMHRoZSUyME9pbGVycyUyMGRvJTIwdG8lMjBnZXQlMjB0byUyMHRoaXMlMjB2ZXRlcmFuJTIwZ29hbHRlbmRlciUzRiUyMCUyMiU3RCU1RCU3RCU1RA==">Tell us what you thought of Darcy Kuemper's play during Edmonton's first-round series with the Los Angeles Kings. What did the Oilers do to get to this veteran goaltender?</span></h2>
Great question. But honestly, I wouldn't say the Oilers got to Darcy Kuemper directly. I think they got to the <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/los-angeles-kings-arrogance-cost-them-against-edmonton-oilers">LA Kings</a> as a team. Kuemper was the main reason these games weren't absolute blowouts. He was fantastic throughout the series.

After Game 1, I wondered if that Oilers' comeback might shake him up, maybe plant a seed of doubt. But he bounced back strong in Game 2, even though Edmonton didn't challenge him as much because LA played well defensively.

Then came Games 3 and 4 (especially the early periods), and Kuemper was outstanding. In Game 5, he was unbelievable. The only reason that game didn't end up 6-1 was Kuemper standing on his head. Fortunately for the Oilers, they kept pressing. They stayed creative, generating chance after chance, especially in overtime. Kuemper was dialled in, stopping almost everything.

But even the best goalies can't keep that up forever. Imagine making ten highlight-reel saves in overtime and still losing. Imagine doing everything possible to steal Game 5, and again coming up short. That can wear you down. That can deflate you.

https://twitter.com/HockeyDaily365/status/1916716084352241948

Maybe in Game 6, a bit of doubt crept in. Suddenly, one or two pucks sneak through early. It's 2-2, then quickly 3-2 Oilers. That makes it tough mentally. You feel like you've already given your absolute best, and yet you're behind again.

Gradually, more shots started finding their way past him. Not necessarily bad goals, but pucks that hadn't gone in before were suddenly going in. Eventually, Edmonton scored six and won the series.

Bottom line: Darcy Kuemper was incredible. He was the only reason overtime didn't end quickly, the only reason Game 5 stayed close, and the only reason Oilers fans had anything to worry about. Great effort from Kuemper. Even better effort from <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/oilers-improved-against-kings-first-round-series">Edmonton</a>.
<h2><span data-slate-fragment="JTVCJTdCJTIydHlwZSUyMiUzQSUyMnBhcmFncmFwaCUyMiUyQyUyMmNoaWxkcmVuJTIyJTNBJTVCJTdCJTIydGV4dCUyMiUzQSUyMlF1ZXN0aW9uJTNBJTIwQmFzZWQlMjBvbiUyMGhvdyUyMHlvdSUyMHdlcmUlMjBjb2FjaGVkJTJDJTIwd2hhdCUyMGtpbmQlMjBvZiUyMHNjZW5hcmlvJTIwc2hvdWxkJTIwZmFucyUyMGJlJTIwbW9yZSUyMGZvcmdpdmluZyUyMHdpdGglMjB0aGUlMjBnb2FsaWVzJTIwb24lM0YlMjIlN0QlNUQlN0QlNUQ=">Question: As a former goalie yourself, and based on how you were coached, what kind of scenarios should fans be more forgiving about when judging goalies?</span></h2>
I’ll admit, I'm a goalie, so I’m always going to side with my guys. I know that's probably not the answer you're after, but hear me out.

Hockey today is insanely fast and skilled. Players skate quicker, shoot harder, and make plays that seem impossible. When a puck goes straight in, everyone jumps on the goalie. But there's usually way more to the story.

Think about Skinner in the first-round series. Early on, he faced chances where guys like Fiala or Kempe were flying across the ice, east-to-west, at full speed. These aren't just good chances, they're elite scoring opportunities from top shooters. Sure, from the couch it might look easy, but trust me, it's not.

Here's what happens when the team struggles defensively: As a goalie, you start losing trust in what's happening in front of you. Instead of calmly reading the play, you start guessing. You think, "Is he passing? Shooting? Where do I need to go next?"

Instead of staying patient and square, you start cheating, anticipating plays. Your feet get restless. You drift backward into your crease. Suddenly, you're off-balance, your feet aren't set, and shots start slipping through that usually wouldn't.

Now, I'm not saying goalies never make mistakes, of course we do. But before you blame the goalie, take a closer look at the replay. Watch for subtle things, like a quick screen, a slight deflection, or a stick interfering with the shot. Sometimes, if the shooter is partially hidden for even a split second, that's all it takes. The puck is already flying before the goalie even sees it leave the stick.

Take Connor Hellebuyck's second goal recently. Fans see it as a bad goal, but look again. The shooter comes down the wing full speed, and just as he's releasing, the puck ramps off a stick. Suddenly, a predictable high-glove shot becomes a tricky blocker-side deflection. Those tiny details matter.

https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1918485512517476802

So yes, be mad at your goalie sometimes. It's natural. But remember, these are elite athletes playing an incredibly difficult position. They're working hard, fighting through screens, tracking pucks, and dealing with chaos on every shift.

Next time you watch, look closer. Notice the little things. It might just change your view of what a "bad goal" really is.

<hr />

<h2 class="mb-5 text-2xl font-bold"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuiMOMMOvIc">Watch Ask Dubey on Oilersnation’s YouTube channel…</a></h2>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuiMOMMOvIc

Ask Dubey: How did the Oilers get to Darcy Kuemper?

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