Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnnyB
Yeah, Markstrom gave the Oilers back some confidence in game one by letting in really awful goals. The rest of the series wasn't as bad, but he was playing well below the level of round one. He did make some great saves and wasn't all bad, but he was enough bad that the hole was too deep. Round one Markstrom showing up for round two would have changed the series.
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Exactly it. He cratered in the first two games, starting period 2 of game 1. That gave the Oilers confidence. Then it just spiraled because he couldn't fully reel it in again.
Series are about swings in confidence & momentum. If Markstrom had shut the door in game 1 while the Flames poured it on it could have led to four straight in a classic Oilers sweep.
The fact that the Oilers realized they could catch us sleeping in the neutral zone and capitalize almost at will just changed the whole complexion of things where it looked to be going to script as the Flames being the heavy favourite early on.