To begin today’s conversation, I’d like to republish a comment from Dangilitis in yesterday’s comment thread. It’s wonderful prose, but also perfectly describes why this team has captured the imagination of the city in a substantial way:
“Getting great players to want to spend their prime years with a commitment to the most northern city in our continent is a phenomenal achievement in and of itself. I love Edmonton, but if I had no initial attachment and millions in cash, I would definitely explore elsewhere. That’s a tip of the cap to the fans and the community, the management and ownership, the city, but mostly to the players who owe us the contracted years and nothing more, but have chosen to continue to proudly represent this club and this city, both in the media and on the ice.”
I’ve been watching NHL hockey since the late 1960’s, and there are degrees of intensity based on quality, importance and personal investment in the game. I listened to Orr’s 1970 winner on the radio, and it was a very intense moment for me. It had such sustain I remember it to this day. The room. The radio. The moment. When the announcer (CBC) said “Orr leaps through the air and scores!” I imagined Orr actually leaping into the air. In a way, hearing the call may have been better for the memory banks in that specific case.
The Oilers goal I remember best is Glenn Anderson’s hammer to put things to rest in the 1987 Final. It was Game 7. It was late. It was 2-1 Edmonton. Ron Hextall was superhuman, but Anderson’s dart from just inside the blue line (it was more ‘above the high slot, but the shot came from range) eluded him. I don’t think I had drawn a full breath for over an hour. The winning goal was Kurri (Gretzky) in that Final, but everyone remembers the Anderson goal. What a moment. I believe Leon Draisaitl’s goal in Game 1 this spring may reach the upper echelons of the Oilers fan collective in the years to come.
The Panthers are good and filthy, that’s a bad combination for any team trying to win Stanley. The playoff rules are relaxed and Florida’s list of ne’er-do-wells is long and diabolical. I knew the moment Brad Marchand was dealt that he’d be a pain in the ass across the NHL this postseason, and he’s delivering. Slew foots, 10 punches without a penalty, it’s ridiculous but this is the NHL.
It’s important to remember the Oilers have their own ‘outside the rules’ bunch and the biggest hammer on the hockey planet is Evander Kane. His good health is an absolute Godsend for a team badly in need of a player willing, able and comfortable with being the enforcer. Home or away. Kane is a difficult player to value, because when he’s going full tilt boogie and all is well, he is one of the truly unique players in the game. I’ll be interested to see how Paul Maurice juggles his lines in Sunrise.
We’re going to find out about health today. An absolute win would be all Oilers dressed for Game 1 are part of the Game 2 action.
It will be a busy Lowdown today, noon to 2 on Sports 1440. Steve Lansky and Tyler Yaremchuk will join us as we tee up Game 2 tonight.
I am a huge Kulak guy, but since Nurse can’t sit I think we need to see Nurse-Stecher. I’d like to see Skinner, but we need size. Kapanen wasn’t hitting tonight but he should stay, that leaves Brown if he’s sick or Arvidsson. Not sure we get better with Skinner for one of them but might try it for some fresh legs.
I thought they were lacking legs a lot of the game, second to an awful lot of pucks and not great on the walls. Was also thinking some energy and finish might be helpful
The Oilers lost so I am sad.
IMO, we played the game to win. The pansys played to not lose until they got a break. They got their break and managed to bury.
Overtime is a crap shoot. Can’t let that happen again.
The lesson is bury them early and don’t give them a chance for luck.
We out played them and lost.
Don’t give them, and the refs, the opportunity.
We did and they capitalized.
Oilers in five.
The 2 on 1 at the start of the second should have been the dagger.
I’m still trying to figure out how they screwed that up.
So hard to look back on that game at the chances they should have cashed.
2-0 has the fat lady warming up.
Now they need to go to FLA and take 2.
They’re the better team. We’ll see what comes.
Outside of the 2nd period it’s not that close. And that was mostly self inflicted, rimming it around the boards when we had time to make a play. We’re better. Bobrovsky is an equalizer mind you. The two Marchand goals are lessons, though. Laziness and lack of awareness from our top guys.
They were out of sync on a lot of attacks. They have to get traffic and screen/tip a lot more than that when Bob isn’t giving up easy ones
We did not capitalize on the PP opportunism or otherwise.
It’s time to regress to the meat. It’s coming.
The PP was a reflection of a lot of their play. A step too slow and overthinking
Got to fix the special teams and the second period. Can’t have 6 PP and end up -1.
Also expected goals were 5.37 – 4.16, again in our favour.
This time goaltending played a role. Bobrovsky was a difference maker, while Skinner was not. I don’t fault him for any of the regulation goals. Bobrovsky was better in OT and in the first where it could have easily been 4-2 or 5-2
Skinner made some massive saves, especially in overtime.
I’ll take that game from Skinner. Last one was lucky, he made a lot of tough saves and looked composed. Nurse/Kulak were rough, Bouchard had some vapor lock, and our forwards weren’t as committed to a physical forecheck or to the backcheck. And yet it was 2OT.
When a sport is not called by its rules, it is not a sport, it is an entertainment product. The games are called to keep the games and series close, regardless of what is happening on the ice.
From the third period on…high stick on Klingberg, two hits/slashes on Bouchard after the whistle, cross check to the face of Kane, blatant holding the stick in OT, and of course, the uncalled too many men on the ice. These were BLATANT penalties, called consistently all regular season and in the first period, and then all of a sudden, the whistles disappear.
The casual observer is going nuts over how good and close this series has been. I’m the most apathetic I’ve ever been about the sport, because this isn’t hockey. This isn’t the sport I love. It’s Calvinball, with the referees making conscious choices about who to give advantages, chances, and momentum to.
I mean yes, but there’s nothing you can do but stop watching.
To paraphrase the fictional character Eldon Tyrell commerce is the goal here.
Will never change unless the broadcasters make it a story. And they never will. Will be in their contract
Refs not wanting to be the story after wanting to be the story for first two periods is a little rich
The good thing about a lose and is we might see JSkinner and Stech in the next game. Kulak was out to lunch tonight. He was skating well but he doesn’t move the needle.
Stetch will bring out the best Nurse.
I liked Marchand better when he was just killing the Leafs. It’s wild how a defending cup champion could fit in a Hart trophy calibre guy like that at the deadline. Rent a rat. Up yours Gary.
Missing a very obvious too many men penalty or choosing not to call it is the refs putting their fingers even further into this game than it already was. On to the next one.
Bouchard got owned by Marchand twice with the same mistake.
Gets sucked outside the dots too often at both blue lines
The OT goal wasn’t a mistake. It was coming right along the boards and Bouchard was in position to keep it in the zone. The puck took a weird bounce and kicked right into the slot onto the Panther’s stick. Just really unfortunate.
Bouchard lets Marchand get behind him both times. Lundell passes the puck to Marchand both times. It’s clearly scouted and the plays are basically identical. You can’t let Brad Marchand get behind you like that when your team is in a 50/50 battle for the puck along the boards.
We had so many chances but couldn’t bury. You can’t wait to find your game in the third and expect to win.
We gotta have more of that killer instinct and bury these guys early. Overtime is a crap shoot and we came up craps.
Remember this and don’t leave it up to chance.
Bury them early!!!
If Kap held on and went backhand on the 2 on 1 he had an empty net. Easy for me to say. Great feed by Podz
It was never going to be easy. Up two games may have been greedy to ask for.
I am so tremendously proud of this team.
And yet, they have more to give.
I trust they’ll perform.
Oilers in 5.
Terrible back breaking ending on a non shot that almost needed team canada curling team to sweep that puck past the goal line
Not calling the two many men play is embarrassing for those two refs. I realize you have to let them play but that is a joke.
At that level of letting things go, Skinner should have just tomahawked his stick at Marchand. If they aren’t even calling objective penalties why hold anything back. I genuinely think they would have found a way not to call a puck over glass tonight.
You don’t have to “let them play” either.
Call the book.
Utter horseshit on that play.
Anyone with a clue knows who the better team is. Watching is mainly curiousity, a carnival sideshow, and wondering if the boys are just so good that the absurdity of it all doesn’t even matter.
Will never change. They want it like this. WWE would never let them wrestle for real by real rules – that would be less entertaining
Feel kinda bad for the fans who spent tons of money AND stayed an hour longer to see Florida win the game… (also for the fans out east or overseas who stayed up past midnight)
😩
Oh well on to game three.
Don’t feel too bad I know two guys who went tonight because they have money not because they are Oiler fans.
What a gutsy effort by the good guys. Will be back with another defensive gem next game.
damn skinner with the leaky 5 hole
Yep – close your legs and get your paddle down Stu. Maybe time to put Pickard in now.
Also time to shelve that Kulak-Nurse pairing. Sit Kulak and put Stetcher back in.
Sit nurse
Nurse was playing well with Stetcher. Kulak looks lost on his off hand side.
Nurse’s hamster fell out of the wheel
Damn is that brutal. They could’ve had 7 or 8 tonight. Need to calm down and finish. If they had, that thing’s over at the start of 2.
Puck luck got us on that play. Damn. That was some damn game.
I hate to be that guy, but the officiating was…..not up to the calibre of this game.
Win ‘er at home, boys.
Damn. Poor Skinner. He did his job. Well stand up for him, guaranteed.
Not ideal. Game lost in the second.
Kap. Kap Kap Kap.
dammit.
Target Ekblad’s hand now. Give it a few good slashes to promote circulation.
PEDs stopped working
Kinda wish Jinner was available to pull off the bench. Don’t know that Brown has been himself lately.
That was our best period of the game
Skinner needs to Ron Hextall Sam Bennet across the back of the ankle. 2 minutes well invested
This is the way
^^
I approve of this post
Well, it’s 6 am here now.
Can’t drink all day if you don’t start in the morning…
Need to drive to my flight at 11 otherwise would likely be as drunk as I should be tired.
Uber? C’mon this is an important moment. You’re team is counting on you lol
😂
Shots, shots, shots!!!
They had two good chances. We had many.
Gotta bear down and finish this!
My poor heart can’t take much more, fellas…
Grey Goose shot to fortify the ol ticker.
Make it worth it, fellas!!!
That would have been an exceptionally fun period to watch with no skin in the game. As an Oilers fan, I think my hairline just receded another millimeter.
Nurse is just not good with passing the puck
Agree. An iffy game for him so far.
Absolutely. Except when he randomly feeds McDrai butter. There’s just no telling.
Sure happy these games start at 6 PM……
At least it’s a Friday.
Oiler D making tired mistakes
Lol I think Brown stopped Schmidt from changing after the Panthers icing.
Nurse has to have the most unpressured icings in the league
Was just saying this to my Bro.
This is known.
This is our team.
That and listless board rims.
Fk Nurse like no pressure whatsoever and panic
Oh my Kane
Grant Skinner!!! Left him nothing!!! My heart stopped for a second, pretty sure!
Omg! Skinner turned into Grant!!!
Holy Gord, Stu.
Klinger: sniff yer salts!
😲
Holy hell Skinner, Klingberg and the post!!!
Skinner!!!!
Forwards really committed to back checking in OT
So over rated Selke winner Barkov, minus 3 tonight.
So the panel in love with Marchant????
I think I blacked out for a second.
BOOM!!! Perry is a hockey God!!!
Finish this!!