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Old 04-17-2017, 04:06 PM   #5513
Soulless Sisters
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Join Date: Apr 2012
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The Oilers actually remind me a lot of the 2004 Flames, really.

A superstar forward (McDavid, Iginla) and a Vezina-esque performance from a former backup goalie in the regular season (Talbot, Kiprusoff), which was then amplified in the post-season. Both teams lacked an elite d-man but had a solid d-by-committe approach, headed by elite shutdown guys (Larsson, Regehr). A lot of size, physicality, and grit up front from both squads.

Extended playoff droughts for both teams (8 years, 11 years) and people kept harping on "experience" and "learning to win" in the post-season because they hadn't been there before.

Time will tell if the Oilers go on a long run or if this is just a 1st or 2nd round exit. But in terms of personnel, philosophy, and expectations, the 2017 Oilers are a lot like the 2004 Flames.

Just my $0.02.
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