If there is a Battle of Alberta...

[ToewsFan]

Who will win, and in how many games?

I'm trying to add a poll to this but do not know how.

My guess? Oilers in 6.

[calgaryred]

All I can think about is Tuesdays match

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[Snuffleupagus]

Calgary in 4

Edmonton is still no good.

[MoBiBu]

Calgary in 3.

Edmonton wins the first 3 games as Calgary loses Gaudreau to dual broken wrists; the Hockey Gods finally wake up from their slumber, recall McDavid to the holy hockey rink in the sky to apologize about the mixup, going on to replace the monkeys in people suits that the NHL had been unknowingly using as referees with the actual professional officials they resembled, and finally turned Rogers place into a trailer park / Jogging Pants Liquidation Superstore to complete the Faustian pact Daryl Katz had made that allowed this all to happen. The remaining Oilers unanaimously concede the series while Whyte Ave is consumed in very literal flames in the rioting by be-mulleted Edmontonians. Skittles turn out to have healing powers and Johnny Hockey returns for round 2.

[Erick Estrada]

Doesn't look like it will happen now. Flames look like they may finish 8th and if they lose to the Ducks in Anaheim which is a very good possibility the Ducks may keep grip of first in the division so if the Preds stink this week and the Flames stay in the 7th spot they would face the Ducks.

[stang]

I like the thread. Execution is poor but how do the 2 teams stack up?

[Yrebmi]

Originally Posted by stang

I like the thread. Execution is poor but how do the 2 teams stack up?

It's difficult to gauge TBH. The two teams only met 4 times this year, and half of those were literally the first two games under the new coach with new goaltenders. The other two times were a shoot out and a goal tender crap bed.

I do not feel this match-up has been adequately tested. It's probably closer than I would like to admit, but I still like Flames chances.

[Huntingwhale]

I could see the Flames taking it in 6. I can see the Oilers winning it in 6/7. But in the end it doesn't matter. I know deep in my stone cold heart, that a first round exit by the Ducks is our destiny.

[belsarius]

Originally Posted by stang

I like the thread. Execution is poor but how do the 2 teams stack up?

I think they stack up pretty good and could make for a good series. I don't think I could give the edge either way right now.

Edmonton obviously has the better top end talent. McDavid line has been dominant.

Scoring depth however I give to the Flames. 13 players with over 10 goals to only 8 on the Oilers.

Defense I give to the Flames, the Oilers have improved and I think their team defense play has vastly improved but their is just no comparison to Gio-Hamilton-Brodie.

Goaltending I call a wash, Talbot has been amazing all year but Elliott has been all-world for the past two months.

Coaching I would give to the Oilers, TMac may not have the best track record with San Jose in the playoffs, but he is much more experienced than GG.

Lots of intangibles that are hard to judge, the Flames have a lot of post season experience in guys like Brouwer and Versteeg, plus Johnny and co. got a taste a couple years ago, where after Lucic there are not a lot of Oilers that have been there. The Wideman effect seems to have calmed down since the all-star break but reffing could be a huge difference maker as the Oiler's PP is a scary unit while the Flames have been inconsistent all season.

C of Red vs Roger's Place.


I think this would make a great series and a pick-em choice. Home ice advantage might be the difference.

[CaptainCrunch]

Fine

line one Maroon, McDavid Draisatl vs Gaudreau Monahan Ferland
Advantage Edmonton, though the Calgary line should still be able to get good offensive chances

Line two - Lucic Hopkins Eberle vs Tkatchuk Backlund Frolik
Really large advantage to Calgary

Line three - Poulliot, Deharnais Kassian vs Versteeg, Bennett, Chiasson
Advantage slight to Calgary

Line four Caggula, Letestu, Hendricks vs Bouma Stajan Brouwer
Sizeable advantage Calgary

D pairing one - Klefbom Larrson vs Gio Hamilton monstrous advantage to Calgary.

D Pairing 2 Sekeras Russell vs Brodie Stone Monstrous Advantage Calgary

D Pairing 3 Nurse Gryba vs Bartowski Engellend slight advantage Calgary

Goaltending Talbot vs Elliot slight advantage Edmonton, though I think it might be closer to even

First line matchup

Edmonton line one dpairing two vs Calgary line 2 dpairing one, advantage to edmonton, though I do think it will be tough sledding for the Edmonton group.

Calgary line one versus Edmonton probably line 3 d pairing 1 - There's no way that they want Eberle and Lucic on the ice against calgary's first line. Eberle's defensive deficiencies and Lucic's slow footspeed are a killer, and there's no way that Edmonton won't try to match their first defensive pair against Calgary. Edmonton dosen't really have what you would call a good shut down line. They're going to have to maybe shuffle it up if they're smart because a line with Poulliot, Deharnais and Kassian will be murdered by Calgary's first line as well

Major advantage Calgary

Edmonton's powerplay 22.6 vs Calgary 20.6 slight advantage Edmonton.

Calgary's penalty kill 81.3 vs Edmonton's penalty kill 80.2 advantage Calgary

Edmonton's pp vs Calgary penalty kill slight advantage Edmonton

Edmonton's pk vs calgary's pp advantage Calgary.

Calgary is just better after the first line up front, and while the whole McDavid mystique is true, Calgary's first line isn't a set up scrubs.

The advantage that Calgary has in lines 2 3 and 4 are significant.

Blueline wise, the Flames line up is far better then what the Oilers have, and they can do more with the puck then the Oilers can. Edmonton's top 6 accounted for 34 goals so far, Calgary 41. Edmonton's blueline accumulated 124 points, Calgary 159 with their current blueliners.

X factors - Elliot and Brouwer vs Lucic and Talbot - Elliot was went into beast mode in the playoffs last year. He seems to also be peaking at the right time. Brouwer was signed based on a monster playoff performance last year, and he'll be counted on to contribute this year

Lucic is a beast, but he hasn't looked great this year and his slow speed has to be a concern against a high speed high tempo team like Calgary. Talbot really has no relevant playoff experience, and there also has to be a concern about him being over played this year, having seen action in 70 games so far.

Xfactor advantage Calgary

If Calgary can stay diciplined, get the matchups that they want they win this series, probably in 5 or 6 games. If they don't effectively gameplan for Edmonton's first line they lose, but I can't see any team letting McDavid free wheel.

Calgary in 6.

[Computerjungle]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Fine

line one Maroon, McDavid Draisatl vs Gaudreau Monahan Ferland
Advantage Edmonton, though the Calgary line should still be able to get good offensive chances

Line two - Lucic Hopkins Eberle vs Tkatchuk Backlund Frolik
Really large advantage to Calgary

Line three - Poulliot, Deharnais Kassian vs Versteeg, Bennett, Chiasson
Advantage slight to Calgary

Line four Caggula, Letestu, Hendricks vs Bouma Stajan Brouwer
Sizeable advantage Calgary

D pairing one - Klefbom Larrson vs Gio Hamilton monstrous advantage to Calgary.

D Pairing 2 Sekeras Russell vs Brodie Stone Monstrous Advantage Calgary

D Pairing 3 Nurse Gryba vs Bartowski Engellend slight advantage Calgary

Goaltending Talbot vs Elliot slight advantage Edmonton, though I think it might be closer to even

First line matchup

Edmonton line one dpairing two vs Calgary line 2 dpairing one, advantage to edmonton, though I do think it will be tough sledding for the Edmonton group.

Calgary line one versus Edmonton probably line 3 d pairing 1 - There's no way that they want Eberle and Lucic on the ice against calgary's first line. Eberle's defensive deficiencies and Lucic's slow footspeed are a killer, and there's no way that Edmonton won't try to match their first defensive pair against Calgary. Edmonton dosen't really have what you would call a good shut down line. They're going to have to maybe shuffle it up if they're smart because a line with Poulliot, Deharnais and Kassian will be murdered by Calgary's first line as well

Major advantage Calgary

Edmonton's powerplay 22.6 vs Calgary 20.6 slight advantage Edmonton.

Calgary's penalty kill 81.3 vs Edmonton's penalty kill 80.2 advantage Calgary

Edmonton's pp vs Calgary penalty kill slight advantage Edmonton

Edmonton's pk vs calgary's pp advantage Calgary.

Calgary is just better after the first line up front, and while the whole McDavid mystique is true, Calgary's first line isn't a set up scrubs.

The advantage that Calgary has in lines 2 3 and 4 are significant.

Blueline wise, the Flames line up is far better then what the Oilers have, and they can do more with the puck then the Oilers can. Edmonton's top 6 accounted for 34 goals so far, Calgary 41. Edmonton's blueline accumulated 124 points, Calgary 159 with their current blueliners.

X factors - Elliot and Brouwer vs Lucic and Talbot - Elliot was went into beast mode in the playoffs last year. He seems to also be peaking at the right time. Brouwer was signed based on a monster playoff performance last year, and he'll be counted on to contribute this year

Lucic is a beast, but he hasn't looked great this year and his slow speed has to be a concern against a high speed high tempo team like Calgary. Talbot really has no relevant playoff experience, and there also has to be a concern about him being over played this year, having seen action in 70 games so far.

Xfactor advantage Calgary

If Calgary can stay diciplined, get the matchups that they want they win this series, probably in 5 or 6 games. If they don't effectively gameplan for Edmonton's first line they lose, but I can't see any team letting McDavid free wheel.

Calgary in 6.

Math works for me!

[V]

I think the only thing that's certain is that CC will post long essays about nothing and Rejean31 will have a meltdown, slowly going crazy with every Oiler PP and every Oiler selected as star of the game. It would be magnificent to watch.

[CaptainCrunch]

Forgot to add coaching

T-Mac versus GG

As much as T-Mac has a pretty good coaching record in the regular season mainly because he coached a very strong regular season talented team like San Jose, his coaching record in the playoffs could be generously called a natural disaster. He failed to get the Sharks a supremely talented team to where they needed to be, and his last two kids at the playoffs could be generously called bad.

GG doesn't have the coaching pedigree that T-Mac has at all.

you have to give the advantage to Edmonton just based on experience, however T-Mac hasn't shown himself to be all that good of a coach when games matter.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by V

I think the only thing that's certain is that CC will post long essays about nothing and Rejean31 will have a meltdown, slowly going crazy with every Oiler PP and every Oiler selected as star of the game. It would be magnificent to watch.

nm, not worth it

[ThisIsAnOutrage]

Originally Posted by ToewsFan

Who will win, and in how many games?

I'm trying to add a poll to this but do not know how.

My guess? Oilers in 6.

My Guess is Flames in 6.

I did the math and Connor McDavid is in on a ridiculous 40.7% of all Oilers' goals. A one-man offense just isn't going to carry a team to the second round.

Also, while I get what the Oilers Nation logo is going for, the positioning of the Oil drop does give the distinct impression of an Oilers' fan opening a vein. Then again, considering the decade the Oilers have had, maybe that was the intended meaning.

[calgaryblood]

Originally Posted by V

I think the only thing that's certain is that CC will post long essays about nothing and Rejean31 will have a meltdown, slowly going crazy with every Oiler PP and every Oiler selected as star of the game. It would be magnificent to watch.

And you also forgot, Oiler fans will rush to CP for validation.

[polak]

My guess is the Oilers would win in 6.

The Flames have fallen back down to earth since the streak and are playing like a bubble playoff team again. That being said, if they can play better defensively again I think they can beat anyone.

[Oil Stain]

I think it could go either way.

[Angelino]

With the lax rules in the playoffs I am really excited to see what mayhem Tkachuk can bring. If Tkachuk has another gear the Oilers should be concerned...

[Looch City]

If the Flames lose to the Oilers, I want Ken King to move this team.

We shall never speak of hockey in this city again.