WCF: Dallas Stars [CEN1] vs Edmonton Oilers [PAC2] - Edmonton wins 4-2

[Dogbert]

Originally Posted by Mephisto

Nah - I think both will be back - combined cap hit $26-28m/yr.

McDavid stays and Draisaitl leaves - and that's probably the best thing for that team in the long run. You can probably pay someone a lot less than Draisaitl will command to stand in one spot on the power play, wait for a puck to bounce there, and let everyone else do the work.

[dash_pinched]

Originally Posted by mathgod

and here's to you, jason robertson
flames fans love you more than you will know
whoa, whoa, whoa
god bless you, please, jason robertson
cast down the filthy oil on this day
hey, hey, hey
hey, hey, hey

https://twitter.com/user/status/1786946497050722526

[Titan2]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Not only do the Stars win the series still, but they win the game tonight.

Quoted for posterity.

[TheIronMaiden]

Love to see Dallas weather the storm. Everyone knows the oilers can pot a few in fits and spurts, but just the same they lapse just as easily.

[Inferno]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1795294593879302292

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Zary's-Mustache

That 4th goal can't go in. That's the difference between winning and losing.

Hopefully they go to Pickard though.

Goaltending is a huge part of playoff hockey. You don't necessarily need the best goalie to win, but you need good goaltending, and you can't lose the goaltending battle by a significant margin.

The Oilers beat the Canucks because the Nucks had to run with Silovs, and lost the edge that they had in net. Without a huge goaltending deficit, the Oilers were able to overcome the Nucks.

But Dallas is a much better team than Vancouver. And Dallas has a much better goalie. In order for the Oilers to win this series, they need to be significantly better than the Stars, because they are going to lose the goalie battle by a fair margin. Last night was a perfect example: that game could have gone either way, but Dallas will take the W because they had the better goalie.

Skinner played great in game 1. And he might be great in another game. But Oettinger will be great the entire series. MASSIVE hill for the Oilers to get over.

[Rejean31]

Luke Gazdic has spoken and he says both Connor and Leon are going to stay in Edmonton and win in Edmonton. LMAO!!!

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Dogbert

McDavid stays and Draisaitl leaves - and that's probably the best thing for that team in the long run. You can probably pay someone a lot less than Draisaitl will command to stand in one spot on the power play, wait for a puck to bounce there, and let everyone else do the work.

It's the other way around if either of them stay. McDavid is going to Toronto. Even if for some reason that doesn't work out he is still leaving, I am very very confident on that.

[Wastedyouth]

Draisaitl will be in LA and McDavid in NY.

I can't see it any other way.

McDavids contract ends the same year Panarin's does. NYR replace Panarin with McDavid at 14 mill and barely increase their cap hit.

Draisatl takes 14 mill to LA, who has a tonne of cap space in 2025.

[FlamesAreOne]

Originally Posted by Rejean31

Luke Gazdic has spoken and he says both Connor and Leon are going to stay in Edmonton and win in Edmonton. LMAO!!!

Oh man, paying Nurse $9.25M for another 6 years and Campbell another $5M for another 2-3, on top of Leon resetting the market only for McDavid to do the same the following year.

How could they possible field a roster?

[Leeman4Gilmour]

Originally Posted by FlamesAreOne

Oh man, paying Nurse $9.25M for another 6 years and Campbell another $5M for another 2-3, on top of Leon resetting the market only for McDavid to do the same the following year.

How could they possible field a roster?

As of this day, they have the worst roster space/cap space ratio in the league for next year.

$9,833,333 left to fill 9 spots. Colorado is close at $15,916,250 for 11 spots.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by Rejean31

Luke Gazdic has spoken and he says both Connor and Leon are going to stay in Edmonton and win in Edmonton. LMAO!!!

I like how Gazdick tried to downplay his love affair with the oilers at the beginning of the playoffs but has gone full boar ever since.

It's weird how their cheerleaders get more vocal and bold with their proclamations when things are going sideways too.

Whether they extend or leave, the window of legit contention is going to close soon.

At least 1 is leaving though because the cap structure after pay raises for every one is highly impractical. Not every can be kept at this stage. If only they didn't shell out for Nurse and Campbell..

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Leeman4Gilmour

As of this day, they have the worst roster space/cap space ratio in the league for next year.

$9,833,333 left to fill 9 spots. Colorado is close at $15,916,250 for 11 spots.

True except Landeskog probably comes off the books. So hey will have 12 spots but $7M more. And everyone off the roster from this year is a replacement level player anyway. They can make a roster quite easily.

[darockwilder]

Originally Posted by Rejean31

Luke Gazdic has spoken and he says both Connor and Leon are going to stay in Edmonton and win in Edmonton. LMAO!!!

I heard that interview. How bizarre his takes were. Like Leon is the best for sure, except Connor is actually the best, I guess I just can't decide since they are both the best in the world. They both love it here, they are a pair, they won't leave, blah blah blah.

It reminded me of the old "Colbert Report" when Stephen would ask guest a question like "George W. Bush... great President, or greatest President?"

[dobbles]

Watching as a Stars fan I have felt that Skinner has done well. Sure he may have let in a weak one last night but he's made plenty of saves to earn a stinker. Some of that has been the Stars shooting into his chest repeatedly, but I guess he's where he needs to be. Picking the top corners is how you score on just about anyone so its not exactly a novel strategy to use against him.

I have really loved the Stars transition game with their stretch passes. Edmonton has had no answer for that after 3 games. Even if the Stars get hemmed in by the big guns, they are just one pass away from flipping the ice at pretty much any time. That I think is a testament to how weak the Oilers defense is.

The top guys have gotten their points for Edmonton, but I have been happy with the Stars limiting the times that they just rush the zone with speed and skill and cause breakdowns. Many of the goals the top line has gotten have been flukey. (hitting Hyman last night) And while you do have to be in the right place to make those happen, I'll take those as opposed to getting dominated in the zone for a few minutes. Eventually flukey stuff will dry up.

The story has been depth against superstars and last night was the first night the top lines were more even. That's when you can see the depth shine. No surprise it took Hintz coming back to make that happen.

I've been happy to see the Stars winning the penalty battle. They have stayed disciplined and not taken too many 'avoidable' calls like puck over glass, too many men, etc. I would say overall special teams has been a wash. Stars PP has been abysmal but so has the Oilers.

Hopefully the Stars keep it going.

[Groot]

Originally Posted by dirk diggler

Cant get enough of the bank commercial with Connor the amazing leader yelling "Lets go". there is no way they can lose with a warrior like that.

They asked for McDavid's input because they wanted it to be an authentic representation of how he leads the team.

They had to go with "Let's Go" because McDavid's normal leadership line of "Give me the puck you losers" didn't resonate with the audience.

[Mass_nerder]

Originally Posted by Rejean31

Luke Gazdic has spoken and he says both Connor and Leon are going to stay in Edmonton and win in Edmonton. LMAO!!!

These guys don't use their heads.
Already, without Leon's pay bump, they're spending 68% of the cap ($56.75 million) on 35% of the roster (8 players, including Campbell, who isn't actually playing). None of those players will be UFA after next season either.
Even if both stay, how are they going to ice a competitive roster after paying ~26 million for 2 players??

They need to win this year or next year. After that, the team will need to be dismantled.

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by Leeman4Gilmour

As of this day, they have the worst roster space/cap space ratio in the league for next year.

$9,833,333 left to fill 9 spots. Colorado is close at $15,916,250 for 11 spots.

Thanks to Connor Brown's $3.5 million cap overage.

I think they have the option to spread that out over 2 years but that doesn't make sense when they need to resign Leon.

Not a lot of mention but good luck telling Bouchard he isn't worth Nurse money or more when he had 80 points, 22 in the playoffs and is +12.

All series, you hear Craig Simpson go on and one during the game about how the Stars depth was supposed to be better than Edmonton's, but it hasn't. Then Hintz comes back, Duchene slides back to his regular line and it sure looks like Dallas has better depth. Oh, but Edmonton was missing Henrique because that is the same as missing Hintz. Stars need to win on Wednesday and put this team away.

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by darockwilder

They both love it here, they are a pair, they won't leave, blah blah blah.

It's a hilarious comment because if that's true then the media has done a poor job of showing that dynamic, aside from "the two best players on the team regularly get put on the same line even though they should be running their own lines."

If you go off of media coverage, you'd think Crosby and MacKinnon are better buddies than McDavid and Draisaitl.

[1qqaaz]

Remaining Goalies by Saves Made Above Expected Per 60 Minutes
1. Shesterkin 0.70
2. Oettinger 0.53
3. Bobrovsky 0.21
4. Skinner -0. 08