Quote:
Originally Posted by stemit14
Can’t think of a team whose “successes” have been more based on luck over the years. Hopefully it has run out. Just to name a few:
1. McDavid lottery. Think of where this team would still be if that ball didn’t drop for them. Think of how poorly run they have been over the years but have had the McDavid powerplay cheat code for the past decade to get them into the playoffs and through playoff rounds.
2. The run you talked about was needed for them just to make the playoffs that season. And I remember the teams they faced for most of it - constantly facing poor teams or decent teams that were in horrible slumps. It felt like they were constantly being setup for another win during that streak.
3. When they went to the final in 2024, Vancouver vastly outplayed them in the 2nd round. Injuries to Vancouver’s top players in that series for games 6 and 7 saved them.
4. They have had multiple years where they constantly get the best matchups for their team in the playoffs. LA four years in a row in the first round. Never facing Colorado in their two runs to the finals. Always wanted them to get Cooorado because Colorado could beat them at their own game (powerplays).
5. In the 2025 playoffs, Byfield not being able to make the most simple puck off the boards play with less than a minute to go. He makes the simple, safe play to get that puck out and it’s very, very likely the Kings win that series…. Furthermore, I think it’s likely McDavid does not re-sign if Byfield makes that play. Can’t stress enough how lucky the oilers were in that moment.
I know every team needs some luck to win and go deep into the playoffs but I don’t know if one team has built so much of it on luck, diving and powerplays as the oilers. Even right now, two of their wins this season are due to pure, blind luck (Columbus fumbling the puck on their powerplay in their own end at the end of the game when all they had to do was pass it around and Philly being millimetres offside with 2 seconds to go). The oilers would be sitting at 18 points (and 4th from the bottom of the league) right now instead of 22 points if not for those two wins.
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And don't forget the Oilers home game against Montreal where the refs absolutely gifted the Oilers a win in a game where they had been vastly outplayed. Refs saved them with 2 late very questionable powerplays.