Game 6 2023 playoffs: Golden Knights at Oilers

by Lowetide

The Edmonton Oilers are facing sudden death in tonight’s Game 6 against Vegas Golden Knights. To a man, they are focused on winning, because a long season is a marathon and no one wants to see it slipping into darkness. A win tonight and the caravan rolls along, dreams of glory still aloft, the promise of names on Stanley in play. It’s a tremendous opportunity and an equal burden. It’s why my Grandma used to take Gravol an hour before HNIC. It’s why Tony Esposito lost his lunch between the second and third periods of the deciding game of the 1971 final. It’s all or nothing at all. Chasing shadows, moonlight mystery. Tonight.

THE ATHLETIC!

TONIGHT

Edmonton will have made all of the major decisions by now, the starting goaltender, who comes out of the lineup for Darnell Nurse, who plays center on the second line. I think we know, but there are injuries to consider and the McDavid line (Nuge-Hyman) didn’t deliver like it needs to (42 percent expected goals, 0-0 goals, in 5:07) in order to win the day. Stay out of the penalty box, keep your damn sticks down, skate like hell. I would run the following lineup:

  • Nuge-McDavid-Hyman
  • Foegele-Draisaitl-Yamamoto
  • Kane-McLeod-Ryan
  • Kostin-Bjugstad-Janmark
  • Ekholm-Bouchard
  • Nurse-Ceci
  • Kulak-Desharnais
  • Skinner (Campbell)

I believe the Oilers will win tonight, for what it’s worth.

A LOOK BACK TO ONE YEAR AGO

Last year at this time, we were discussing the summer and what may come. Here’s the written word from last June, with an update on each item.

Sign Jay Woodcroft and Dave Manson. This is imperative and I don’t think anyone would bat an eye if it was for a significant length. These two men made an immediate and significant difference. Sign them, and then fashion the roster for the coaches. I expect the fourth line to be faster and younger next season and 7D will be a regular thing.

UPDATE: It happened soonafter the season ended, and Woodcroft’s regular season record (76-32-12, .683 winning percentage) is tops among Oilers coaches. Of course, he’s four Stanley Cups behind Glen Sather and one back of John Muckler, so work to do. Woodcroft has won three playoff series, matching Craig MacTavish in this century among Edmonton coaches.

Hire an analytics department before the summer trading period. The draft should be fine, Edmonton’s amateur scouts have delivered impressively in the last few seasons. Even though the team lets some good talent slip through the cracks (Matej Blumel signed with the Dallas Stars yesterday, he’s a good prospect), the amateur scouts are fine. The pro scouts haven’t been close to the amateur scouts for years.

UPDATE: If the Oilers have added to the analytics since bringing in Brad Holland, it has not been made public. That said, the team made three trades that math adored (Klim Kostin, Mattias Ekholm, Nick Bjugstad) or at least endorsed. Pro scouting is better with Brad Holland added, amateur scouts have been kicking out the jams for years.

UFA’s: I don’t think Holland can find the money for Evander Kane, but do believe Brett Kulak is worth the investment. The rest of the UFA group, which includes Josh Archibald, Derick Brassard, Colton Sceviour, Kyle Turris, Kris Russell, Mikko Koskinen, Brad Malone and Cooper Marody, will not return with few exceptions. I think Brad Malone gets a contract, maybe Josh Archibald, but the team should do the right thing and let Marody go.

UPDATE: He found the money for Kane, Kulak and Jack Campbell, in what was Holland’s signature summer as Oilers general manager. Brad Malone was also signed. Holland’s strength is free agency, and getting Kane plus Kulak back on the roster was a win.

RFA’s: Jesse Puljujarvi, Kailer Yamamoto and Ryan McLeod all need new contracts, I’m hopeful all three return but realistically it’s unlikely.

UPDATE: All were signed, but it didn’t work as planned. McLeod emerged as a real value contract, but Puljujarvi was dealt for cap room and Yamamoto didn’t deliver enough for $3.1 million (his cap hit) and enters summer in an uneasy situation.

Identify the foundation under contract: Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Darnell Nurse, Cody Ceci, Evan Bouchard

UPDATE: That was the list a year ago, but I think the Oilers have done a nice job adding to it from within. I’ll list McDavid, Draisaitl, Hyman, Nuge, Nurse, Bouchard from last season, and place Ceci (plus Brett Kulak) in the undecided. I’m convinced Evander Kane, Stuart Skinner and Ryan McLeod are part of the foundation, too.

Identify NHL-ready prospects: Philip Broberg, Dylan Holloway, Dmitri Samorukov, Markus Niemelainen, Stuart Skinner

UPDATE: Stuart Skinner emerged as the biggest contributor among rookies, he is nominated for the Calder Trophy. I think Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg will be long-term solutions and Markus Niemelainen replaced William Lagesson in a depth role. Samorukov was dealt to St. Louis for Klim Kostin, a trade that has worked out well so far.

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

I used to be very busy on Mother’s Day, but this year is different. My Mom and my wife (Mom to my kids) are in heaven, probably talking about my terrible housekeeping. I’ll bet all the money I’ve ever earned they are cackling about my cooking too, barely able to contain themselves. “I was there for 40 years, maybe you should have paid attention!” and then laughter and hilarity. Oh they were a pair together, called me on my crap and told me home truths like they were reading a shopping list. I knew were I stood with both of them, probably why I loved them so much and miss them, especially today.

Jo-Anne’s Mom is 96 now, I’ll call with the kids later. It’ll be a difficult day at the house. We’ll get through it. These are better days, the pain is six months (almost) past and there’s laughter with the pain.

I was at a fund raiser for the Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton in March, and there were many people there I knew through twitter. One of them, Jana, wandered by and said hello. We talked for a time, and she said something that struck me. She asked if I was taking comfort in Jo-Anne’s memory, and I said no, it was painful to look at photos and think about our life together. “Someday soon your memories will become friends again,” she said, or that’s what I heard her say.

It struck like thunder. I wished for it to be true. I swear things began to turn in the days that followed. I don’t know why, but her saying that freed me somehow. Damndest thing. I am so thankful. Still have bad times, but they aren’t all day or all weekend or even a specific time of day (mornings and night time in the house were especially difficult).

I always like to tell a story on Mother’s Day, so let me tell this one about my wife. She was easy to buy gifts for, because the things she liked, she really liked. Jo-Anne was a big lover of chocolate, I bought Purdy’s for her each Mother’s Day and whenever she ran out. Which was quite a bit! She loved flowers, lilacs, lillies, loved the smell of all flowers. She’d breathe them in, 10 minutes later she’d sneeze and then have to take a Claritin. Rinse, repeat. What a girl.

The best gift I ever got her was tickets to Donny Osmond in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat that played in Edmonton (at the Jubilee Auditorium) in the summer of 1993. She loved Donny Osmond when she was a kid, had all of his records, posters, the whole deal. When I found out the show was coming to Edmonton, I secured tickets, and we had a wonderful evening. Dinner at Earl’s with Ed and Cynthia (friends of ours at the time), and then the show! I swear to you, there was a point when Mr. Osmond was suspended by ropes (or cables) straight above Jo-Anne in the audience. She was in heaven, it was such a wonderful evening. Such a happy moment. He was her first love, but Jo-Anne married me, so take that Donny Osmond!

We’ve made some decisions in the last while. All of Jo’s clothing will go to Goodwill, it’s in the car I’m taking it today if they’re open, tomorrow if they aren’t open Sundays. If you tell them it’s for the Women’s Shelter, they give the shelter will receive gift cards to hand to the ladies and sell the clothing that’s usable in the stores. A grand idea, I’m so glad it’ll help. Jo-Anne led a good life, one that mattered. She cared for people. I know she’d like that idea.

We’re also going to give blood, me and the kids. I grew up Jehovah’s Witness, and faint at the sight of blood and can’t imagine donating it. However, the transfusions given my wife, they gave us hours and days and weeks of hope. I’m going to do it no matter how often I faint. Plus apparently you get a cookie and I’m all about it. I fainted so often when Jo-Anne and I were married it became a joke. I fainted at the Mis when we were taking birthing classes (dropped like a stone!), fainted when I ripped a nail taking out the garbage at our town house in West Edmonton, fainted one time when she talked about bleeding from a bad cut. So, I’m going to donate blood for Jo-Anne, the kids too. I don’t know how many pints she got, but figure I have enough years that added to the kids donations we’ll pay the world back with interest.

Please call your Mom today, and you gush and be silly about how much you love her. If you are married to a Mom, do the same and double it again. Get mushy men!!! It’s Mother’s Day!!

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kinger_OIL

— Lots of players MIA last few games. OP MIA for awhile here: do he take a break or was he benched?

— Lots of questions this off-season. Deep into semis was my “bogey”

— I’m cheering for Vegas: would be 2nd year in a row the Cup winner beat the Oil.

Mayan Oil

I’m cheering for Seattle to make the FInal, and to beat Vegas hard.

maudite

The adjustments made by Vegas like neutralizing effectiveness of Bouchard compared to lack of adjustments made to zone defense that had led to far too many lost coverage events.

Greater than a whole lot of other things

Blown call on highstick to ekholm is a huge miss tonight…but is it any more of a miss than not calling a timeout on 5 minute powerplay the game before?

Last edited 11 months ago by maudite
LMHF#1

Stauffer steps in to pump the tires in the post game…UGH

Woodcroft really thinks it was just execution tonight and in the series…Nope.

Admiral Ackbar

I love this team. I love ManWood (even though they got out coached).

I hate the NHL. Ekholm was obviously highsticked drawing blood with 6min to go. And that will be happily forgotten by anyone moving forward this season.

I bet that slash on Leon mattered. Bad calls and non-calls (both ways) ruined the skill of this series. I still think the Oilers were the better team despite getting out coached

Diablo

Biggest need is a new RHD partner for Nurse. Get rid of Ceci and Yamo for the cap space needed. Let Holloway, Lavoie and Kostin fight for that cherry top 6 spot. If none of them grab that spot, then get someone else at next year’s trade deadline.

Scungilli Slushy

McSorley posted stats below

NHL_SID has put up numbers at ON

The stats look good but are moot. I have been worried that the O zone play didn’t have a structure for countering certain defensive schemes

That the Oilers can’t score regularly off rushes or cycling when it matters shows this

Given having the two best forwards it’s not the players

em

To win a Stanley Cup in a cap league you need your team to outperform the value of its collective cap hit. The Avs had breakout players like Nichushkin and Toews as well as MacKinnon on a cheap contract delivering surplus value. Tampa sidestepped the salary cap and essentially had Kucherov playing for free when it mattered. I think the Oilers need to find some true breakout talent like the Avs did last year in order to take the next step forward.

Nevertheless, it was a very enjoyable season. Thanks for the blog LT and to all those participating in the discussion in the comments. Glad that I have a good Jays team to keep busy watching through the summer.

Strapping Jocks

It sure would be nice if the Oilers could find a Kucherov or a Stone that can be held on LTIR and activated for the playoffs.

giddy

Onward, upward. Excited for next season. Always fun to watch any playoff hockey… even if the result is frustrating in the end.

Bling

Well said.

The core of this team is great. And sometimes you don’t win. Run it back baby! With some tweaks.

Offside

The goal was the Cup, so yes this season was a failure. But there are varying degrees of failure, and this loss, while disappointing still shows we are a Cup
contender. I think we can get better even with Cap constraints. Both goalies should be better next time around. As LT says “goalies are voodoo” and who could have predicted Hill would out duel Skinner.
It sucks. At least we know we didn’t mortgage the future though. Lots of years of excitement still to come. Man, I thought this year was as good as a chance to win it as any

LMHF#1

Goalies are perfectly visible in a playoff series.

They rarely win you games but can definitely lose you games.

It was visible from the word go that Skinner was guessing. Guessing goalies get 2 GA. That’s it.

How come NHL coaches haven’t learned anything from how pitchers are handled in the playoffs???

godot10

The Vegas forwards played a better 200 foot game than the Oiler forwards.

Boil-in-the-Oil

Well, lots to complain about… the rear view mirror is far too honest. The season is over too early, but here we are (again). Time to look ahead, Stanley must be ours next year.

Ahead, another long summer of speculation. Personally, still lovin’ my Oilers.

Now … GO ELKS 🏈

FabioRoberto

A few thoughts…
1) There is no professional league in the world like the NHL that has two sets of rules one for the regular season and one for the playoffs.
2) Goaltending is overrated. You can win if you play solid defence in front of an average goalie(Brossoit and Hill)
3) Campbell saved the team against the Kings, was much better than Skinner, but couldn’t get a start.
4) Too many passengers……Yamo, Nuge, Kane, Hyman, etc..
5) 5v5 this team could not deliver
6) This team’s defence and team defensive play needs upgrades and work
7) Connor and Leon are fantastic stars, but the depth help just was not there.

Reja

If Woody gets fired tomorrow and Babcock takes over I’ll eat my left sandal.

Scungilli Slushy

I thought Maurice was a goof. Turns out it was the GM

The Oilers played like Woody talked. NHL coaches are motivational speakers and people managers, not tactical people, that’s on others. Woody is an assistant coach at the NHL level

Maurice gets his current players giving everything. His strategy is playoff effective at least now

What we just witnessed was shite. Not good enough for a historic player who played his guts out

Sensitive people turn away. If amends are made as I said before Quenville is the guy. He knows how to handle elite skill and play for offense while winning deep

OmJo

I can’t see them firing Woodcroft after the success he has had with this team, despite this loss.

LMHF#1

What success?

0 division titles.
0 conference titles.
0 Cups.

With the 2 best players in the world.

I like Woodcroft – but he’s accomplished nothing at this stage.

OmJo

He’s……. been around for 1.5 seasons.

He has a 76-32-12 record.

Had the team in the conference final in his first half-season here.

Scungilli Slushy

I’ll stop watching reg season

McSorley33

The team this series:

CF – 55%
SF – 52%
HDCF- 54%

Admiral Ackbar

They spent much of 4 games trailing. Score effects

Mayan Oil

I hope the Kniggits get unceremoniously booted next round. By Seattle. THAT will get in their heads a bit.

Tarkus

I blow my nose in their general direction.

cowboy bill

I wouldn’t be surprised if VGK win the cup.

Munny 2.0

Hyman was playing with a significant injury.

Scungilli Slushy

Genius!

Mayan Oil

Heck of a ride, but ended too soon. Moving ahead, next biggie for me is what will happen with the Cap? 1m increase or do we escape escrow debt restriction and go up more as per Bettmen in FP in March said was possible? Will make a difference to the offseason.

813.52Ran

Truly, what actual difference does the cap make?
They could raise it to $150m, and the same 900 players would still be divvy-ing it up.

Reja

We had the Cup stupid stupid decisions fire Woody tomorrow and hire Gallant. Woody supposed to be the boss instead his love affair with Skinner and little man Tate cost us a Cup and probably Leon unless we win next year.

Scungilli Slushy

Leon played poorly in a lot of games

That he scores hides it. Until he doesn’t score

The proof is in the pudding. They had two shocking knock outs, were outclassed by the Avs, and shit the bed now

The two best highest scoring forwards can’t get it done. In prime

In Toronto it’s blow up talk. What’s the difference?

Harpers Hair

This was peak Oilers.

Aging curves now a factor.

Scungilli Slushy

No it’s not peak Oilers. It may be peak Connor and Leon

godot10

Skinner, Nurse, Bouchard, Broberg, Desharnais…not in the most difficult part of the roster to build It is just getting started.

Diablo

Aging curves are more favourable for elite players.

teddyturnbuckle

At the end of the day the Oilers had too many guys that didn’t do enough. Kane , Nuge, Yamamoto, Ceci, Nurse and a sub .875 save percentage from Skinner. They were not going much farther even if they won tonight.

Last edited 11 months ago by teddyturnbuckle
hags9k

260 GA during the season. That’s just too loose for a true contender, unless you catch lightning in a bottle with your goaltender, and we did not. Maybe next year they will finally focus more on keeping the puck out of their net so that come playoff time, they are good at it. I think we all felt that our best hockey was better than anyone’s but they couldn’t sustain it, likely due to injuries. A very enjoyable season with a disappointing ending.

GarbanzoHumanBean

Weak ass goaltending

LMHF#1

I hate the way this series was refereed – but the Oilers stopped doing all the things that draw penalties for them.

They were barely themselves at all.

innercitysmytty

If Nuge was injured it must be a doozy. Leon played on one leg last year and still dominated. Nuge on the other hand was completely ineffective.

Scungilli Slushy

I thought the money should have gone to Danault

Turns out I was right

Kurri17

Clearly not the only issue, but Stuart Skinner playoff stats:

GAA: 3.52 SVP: 0.890 Shutouts: 0

NOT Starting goalie caliber in the playoffs. Every Stanley cup winner gets some good goaltending on the way. Holland has to take the blame for entering the playoffs with two big question marks in net.

innercitysmytty

This is true, except those were his stats entering the night. Even uglier after tonight.

€√¥£€^$

Remember that time when Smith begged his coach for one more start and he and the team blew it and ended losing to a terrible Chicago? And then coach got fired? Deja vu? I do think Woody is probably safe though, but tick, tock, you never know.

Woody had a choice, he choose with his heart, rather than his head and was wrong.

When all is said and done Campbell finished with a 1.01 GAA and a 0.961 save percentage in 2 minutes under the equivalent of 2 games. IMO, he actually saved the series vs LA.

Meanwhile Skinner finished with 12 starts in which he was pulled in 33% of those games and allowed 4 or more goals in half of those games. If winning is the objective, the data should be the information consulted, not the heart and not the damn gut.

if Holland had a say, he would have said “play the man that we are paying to be the starter”. It’s not as if Campbell is a rookie. This loss is not on Holland.

Last edited 11 months ago by €√¥£€^$
OmJo

Campbell faced 13 shots in this series.

smellyglove

He had 51 SA and 2 GW overall

TheGreatBigMac

Boys played hard. Disappointing and frustrating end for sure. Hard to swallow after the boys worked so hard to get here. Lots to dig through in the off-season but I think we’re a better team next year. Thanks to all LT for hosting and all the insightful and entertaining comments.

Kurri17

Absolute wasted opportunity.

LMHF#1

If Woodcroft practiced what he preached all year – they would have been fine.

Instead he froze in the moment. Couldn’t adapt.

That’s a prerequisite of champions.

kaotic

Turning point tonight is when the puck took an unlucky bounce off skinner ten feet in the air and Nurse decide to skate the opposite direction again? Maybe thinking it was going behind the net? Marchessault was left completely alone. WTF was he thinking? Anyone???

Scungilli Slushy

I have a thought

When defense men have no sense of danger, right in front of their own net, it can’t end well

cowboy bill

It’s strange how Oilers defensemen decide to retreat behind the net when the puck is in front of the net. I don’t understand the Knights D men constantly collapse in the net front. Is it coaching. I’m confused.

McSorley33

Complete outliers

12 playoff games

RNH

CF-46%
GF 3/ GA 8
GF- 27%

Yams;

CF- 46%

GF 5 / GA 11
GF- 31%

That is 1/3 of your top 6 forwards

Those numbers are disgusting and why we lost, badly, at even strength.

McSorley33

Only Bjugstad rivals these two….and Woody had a love affair with Jugs for some reason…..

Harpers Hair

Evander Kane?

McSorley33

Not great at all..but CF 52% ( thanks to McDavid)

Yams and RNH no ability to play along the wall in playoff hockey or win puck battles.

And thus were defending far too often.

Even a God ( Leon ) could not save them.

Imagine a more pedestrian centre between them?

Scungilli Slushy

Outliers? Both small and not fast enough to be that small, with average shots RNH’s Hot season aside . It certainly didn’t continue when things got harder

Scungilli Slushy

Campbell over Keumper is a Dubas level move, Holland to POHO

Or gone thanks Kenny

smellyglove

You don’t think he tried?

hunter1909

Draisaitl and McDavid both look exhausted from dragging this team around.

Scungilli Slushy

So it’s time for big changes for me

The 5v5 has been red light for ages. Coaches think AHL banging around the net instead of a plan is the way. Despite multiple examples of how an offensive strategy is hard to defend

They have a lot of players with ‘physical’ tools and low hockey IQ, And limited puck ability. Unreliable. Can’t have that

Reja

Fire Woody!!! buyout Yamamoto!!!! trade Foegele.

innercitysmytty

Foegele was one of our best players in the playoffs. Why would you trade him?

Reja

Because we are capped out this was the year to win. Holland went all in getting Ekholm and Bjugstad. Bouchard and McLeod have to be signed

GarbanzoHumanBean

Yamo and ceci

doritogrande

If you think this was “all in”, wait til you see what the Leafs did at the trade deadline.

Offside

Verdad?

flea

Really two comments stick out in my mind after this loss.

Starting Skinner – even though it looks like the wrong call in this moment, I think long term it was the correct one. If they start Campbell here, and he loses, it might get in his head. All summer long, with no opportunity to get between the pipes again. For a guy with (apparent) mental health issues, is that the right call? You have to manage your talent. Skinner got you here, he won a series, and he played great in the regular season. I still think he deserved it and if Campbell wants to play in G6 he should play better in the regular season and earn it. I think he’s an outside trade candidate this summer (and further if he was the one who lost that game, maybe that hurts his value somewhat).

Second thought – reffing. It was bad. It felt biased but I think there was issues in all the series (granted I didn’t watch a ton of the other teams). Penalties need to be reviewed going forward in my opinion. Yah it might mess with the flow a little, and reduce power plays, but it has to be done. They do it in every other sport – time for the NHL to take the plunge. I don’t know how the NHL does it but maybe a challenge type option. It needs to improve and I’m sure the betting companies will be advocating for this to improve.

It’s tough- I think this was a great opportunity to win a cup. Shame it didn’t happen.

LMHF#1

There is no “long term” with a Cup on the line.

And they just blew a Cup. None of the teams left stood a chance.

flea

I hear you but your saying Campbell = Cup?

I think that’s still a stretch. Do you really think they could’ve beat Carolina in the final? Dallas the next round? The teams left are still quality.

I agree the goaltending has to be better or change, I think this is Hollands greatest challenge this summer. Personally I’d like to see Campbell traded and someone else brought in on a one year. That also gives them the $$ to sign Bouchard potentially.

Reja

Are you for real? Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft

Benign Bone

I’ve been seeing this a lot but what is it about Dallas or Carolina that don’t stand a chance? Dallas has both the high-end offense to keep up with EDM and a goalie that has stolen series’ before (as well as Heiskanen) while Carolina is perhaps the pinnacle of 5-on-5 dominance. I can imagine this being applied to Florida but Dallas and Carolina are every bit as capable as Vegas- perhaps more. No Cup was guaranteed.

innercitysmytty

Agreed on the officiating. It was terrible, but it generally is across the board.

cowboy bill

Vegas had a plan and they stuck to it in the final two games . They weathered the storm in the first period,came out strong in the second and shut them down in the third. Hill came in and stole the series.

oilpower

Well at the end of the day they just gave up to many goals, still haven’t learned how to defend a lead.

Tye

Above all else,
I want to say thanks to our host for another excellent season of Oilers coverage, personal stories & banter.

Thanks LT.
Here’s to many more!

StixMalone

Well another year of an American Stanley cup final…..

LMHF#1

Not just that – but basically guaranteed to be a franchise that in no way deserves it.

Absolutely brutal.

Funny Bissonness

Okay I listened to the whole Eichel interview.. Is it October yet?!

Darryl8843

Definitely a step back from last year. After all the moves Holland made his biggest Campbell the coach for some reason refuses to play him. Skinner clearly struggled all playoffs but still started every game. It’s not like Skinner is a vet and deserves it. But Campbell is. I think that needs someone to answer.

godot10

Campbell couldn’t stop a puck most of the season.

Diablo

Skinner couldn’t stop a puck the entire playoffs.

Darryl8843

So true

Reja

We had 3 times the chances Vegas had yet we lose

Darryl8843

Skinner could turn out to be a good goalie. But this playoff he wasn’t. He didn’t deserve the net. Campbell played good this playoffs in relief. Granted relief but nonetheless he was good

Reja

Skinner was fighting the puck all series. This is the real season Campbell was fresh your to blind with stubbornness just like Woody who needs to be fired.

€√¥£€^$

You are ignoring recent results

Reja

Fire Woody! His love affair with Yamamoto makes me puke. Holland won’t be able to give Yamamoto away so he’ll buy him out.

hunter1909

Now is the time to come up with the best excuses(for another failed season).

813.52Ran

Too many stupid players.

godot10

The usual, defensive coverage by the forwards.

teddyturnbuckle

Final shots 41-22 for Oilers. Fatal mistake starting Skinner again when he was clearly struggling. Feel bad for the kid.

godot10

The defensive coverage by particular forwards cost the game, and Yamamoto took his usual careless penalty.

813.52Ran

Woodcroft needs to feel extreme heat over this.

Fuhr and Lowething in Vegreville

I’m frustrated with the officiating as much as anyone, but the reality is, a Stanley cup winning team can’t rely on PP”s…we needed to win 5v5 hockey. Coupled with goaltending that we all knew was likely subpar before the season even started and here we are. No team wins without some games being stolen by a goalie, and not only did we not get that, but we got the opposite.

Last edited 11 months ago by Fuhr and Lowething in Vegreville
OmJo

The turning point of the series was the Broberg “penalty”… it just went downhill from there.

Bettman got what he wanted. I am sure Seattle will get favorable calls tomorrow so he gets his expansion WCF.

The officiating in that third was disgusting.

GarbanzoHumanBean

Damn dude, oilers have no excuses. They loaded up at the deadline and played soft ass baby shit 5 on 5. I’m not embarrassed. They should be.

rich tm

I think the Nurse instigator was the turning point of the series. It resulted in Broberg playing more – and the penalty (which was a terrible call). That said, Broberg needs to play more next season.

Bling

Great game and a good season. Fun as hell watching these guys. Compete level was high and they emptied the tank. All you can ask for.

Crazy Pedestrian

Weird… my NHL apps aren’t working anymore. NHL must have indeed cancelled the remainder of the playoffs. Wonder why…
Oh well. No one wins this year I guess. See you all in September.

Diablo

Yep – I literally could not care who wins the Cup this year. Time to get outside and enjoy this beautiful weather.

dsr29

That’s on the coach. Skinner looked shaky so many times in the playoffs and they never gave a start to Campbell.

Diablo

Time for a coaching change. Just bizarre some of the decision Woody made.

Scungilli Slushy

When he said banging on a rock it reminds me of chopping wood and hauling water

No time for that in a playoff series

Complete bullshit

delooper

I imagine there’s some injury problems, but this Oilers team relies too heavily on their killer powerplay. 5 on 5 they don’t bring enough to turn things around when facing a solid defensive team.

McSorley33

It was ugly at even strength here…

Admiral Ackbar

That 4 min pp would have chznged thibfs

oilinthepeg

All that and all we get is an inflated Bouch contract.

Scungilli Slushy

Ouch

Pls Holland go away and let someone with some balls negotiate

Scungilli Slushy

-1 you seem to hate our team

Android

Someone has been immediately downvoting almost every comment since the second period.

Diablo

Someone is probably just very drunk.

innercitysmytty

Nice officiating. Not surprised, but how fucking hard is it to call the obvious penalties.

Ice Sage

At eleven PM,the main hatchway caved in, I’ll say
“Fellas, it’s been good to know ya”

Scungilli Slushy

Poignant

jp

Damn it, that is rough.

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