WCR2: Edmonton Oilers (P3) vs Vegas Golden Knights (P1) - Oilers win 4-1

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Dallas of this round would. But of course they're in the central bracket, while the Pacific is trash.

And we don't know if that series goes the distance or if they sustain injuries before we move into rd 3

[activeStick]

Originally Posted by dino7c

lol you guys are crazy...you really think Vegas is better than Dallas, Florida, Carolina, ect.

I mean, it's not THAT crazy at all really when Vegas finished 3rd with 110, Dallas finished 5th at 106, Carolina in 10th at 99 and Florida in 11th at 98. Vegas looked baaaaaad for sure last night and maybe even the entire series, while Dallas, Carolina and Florida all look better in the 2nd round, but yeah, not that crazy a suggestion...

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Toonage

I saw Vegas as being up there as a team that could beat the Oilers even if they weren't or aren't as good as Dallas.

But we did this last year. Dallas can beat them! Dallas petered out. Could Dallas of this round win? Probably. Will Dallas after the Winnipeg series if they advance? Who knows.

I bet if you replay that series last year 10x Dallas wins it 8 times, and they didn't have Rantanen. Game 6 was one of the biggest fluke wins in NHL hisotry.

I get the PTSD but every year is different

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by activeStick

I mean, it's not THAT crazy at all really when Vegas finished 3rd with 110, Dallas finished 5th at 106, Carolina in 10th at 99 and Florida in 11th at 98. Vegas looked baaaaaad for sure last night and maybe even the entire series, while Dallas, Carolina and Florida all look better in the 2nd round, but yeah, not that crazy a suggestion...

regular season points are kinda ** these days with injuries and players resting. Washington was the #2 team points wise and I never thought they stood any chance at the cup. Dallas played most of the year without Rantanen and were mailing it in pretty good down the stretch with being kinda locked in to their spot.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Vegas got heavily out played by the Wild. That is really all you need to know. They already got their cup win.

Winnipeg can't beat the Oilers with their goaltending. The Stars always fold against them. Probably the only real threat to beating Edmonton is Florida, and they have been getting much worse goaltending than last year.

I honestly can't see the Oilers not winning the cup. It's sickening.

Florida still has it. And Brind'amour is one of the few coaches I'd trust not to roll over for those losers. So either representative for the east would be a solid adversary.

Still thinking Dallas has more jam this year than last and barring more inexplicable no shows should be a tough opponent that's stronger on paper (but we know how that's turned out lately).

[FanSince'01]

I don't understand the point of view that says the Oilers are guaranteed to get past Dallas. Dallas is probably the most complete team in the West and the two teams they've had to face in the first two rounds are the other two teams who are in the argument for best team in the West.

Have faith - the Stars are a well-built team who are miles better than either Vegas or LA. And Rantanen seems to be on a mission to prove he was more than just Nate's sidekick in Colorado. As long as the Stars can stay healthy for another couple of weeks (and they're getting Heiskanen back, so they're getting healthier if anything), I don't see Edmonton beating them barring shenanigans.

[dino7c]

The Jets should also beat the Oilers but their goalie is either the best or the worst on any given night...usually the worst in the playoffs it seems

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by FanSince'01

I don't understand the point of view that says the Oilers are guaranteed to get past Dallas. Dallas is probably the most complete team in the West and the two teams they've had to face in the first two rounds are the other two teams who are in the argument for best team in the West.

Yeah but it was the same story last year and the Stars kind of just rolled over for the Oilers. Maybe they have a bit more push back with Rantanen but it's clear the Oilers get into the heads of their opponents in the playoffs as the Kings after a promising start just faded away in the first round and the Knights are going down this round without much of a fight. The Stars may show up for the first few games but for the same reasons the Kings and Knights did, they will stop playing their game and the Oilers will comfortably win. You can tell yourself over and over that the Stars are the deeper team and better on paper but I wager very few here would put down their own money on the Stars winning because deep down most of us all know what's coming.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by FanSince'01

I don't understand the point of view that says the Oilers are guaranteed to get past Dallas. Dallas is probably the most complete team in the West and the two teams they've had to face in the first two rounds are the other two teams who are in the argument for best team in the West.

Have faith - the Stars are a well-built team who are miles better than either Vegas or LA. And Rantanen seems to be on a mission to prove he was more than just Nate's sidekick in Colorado. As long as the Stars can stay healthy for another couple of weeks (and they're getting Heiskanen back, so they're getting healthier if anything), I don't see Edmonton beating them barring shenanigans.

Colorado was supposed to roll over the Avs. Until they didn't. The Avs had the best two players in the game right now, a pretty solid depth and better goaltending than before. But Dallas was just a better team. And they have more weapons now.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Why do these teams fade after working all year to get there?

Odd that the oilers would be disarming. You'd think it more likely that they would be galvanizing because of the ratio of scum that plays for them.

[3rd liner]

To echo earlier posters, just completely unplugging from an oilers playoff game (as I did last night) was really good for the mood. Still highly irritating to see the final score, but at least you don't have to see those scumbags and their fans do their thing- Drasaitl, Kane and Perry just make me irrationally angry. It is too bad that you look forward to the playoffs, but then have to ignore some of the series because of supersaturation of them by the media.

[Paulie Walnuts]

No thank you to the Jets not with that goalie.

Jake Oettinger has been decent but he wasn't great vs the Oilers. It's unbelievable he looks like a all time hall of fame goalie vs us and turns into just ok vs other teams.

Dallas still scares me, they don't bring it but maybe Rantanen changes things this year looks like he is a on a mission. I was wrong about him.

[FanSince'01]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Yeah but it was the same story last year and the Stars kind of just rolled over for the Oilers. Maybe they have a bit more push back with Rantanen but it's clear the Oilers get into the heads of their opponents in the playoffs as the Kings after a promising start just faded away in the first round and the Knights are going down this round without much of a fight. The Stars may show up for the first few games but for the same reasons the Kings and Knights did, they will stop playing their game and the Oilers will comfortably win. You can tell yourself over and over that the Stars are the deeper team and better on paper but I wager very few here would put down their own money on the Stars winning because deep down most of us all know what's coming.

If it had been more than one series that Dallas played poorly against the Oilers (like LA), I'd be inclined to agree but that was only one series and it was in the midst of the Oilers having an inexplicable, historic post-season penalty kill. The Oilers completely shut Dallas out on the PP last year. That's not happening again this year should these two meet.

This year the Stars are deeper and the Oilers, despite how the first two rounds have gone, are not as deep. I don't see Dallas sleepwalking through the series so if the Oilers are going to advance, they're really going to have to earn it.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Dallas & Winnipeg are both better than Vegas; however every day the Oilers are still in it, is a day too long.

[activeStick]

Originally Posted by dino7c

regular season points are kinda ** these days with injuries and players resting. Washington was the #2 team points wise and I never thought they stood any chance at the cup. Dallas played most of the year without Rantanen and were mailing it in pretty good down the stretch with being kinda locked in to their spot.

Yeah. My point is really my disagreement of you saying it's "crazy" for people to see things that way. I mean, we had people here saying the Stars were absolute trash prior to the playoffs lol. People will have different takes and there was enough reason for people to think that Vegas, who had a lot more points than some of those teams, is a better team. It didn't come from nowhere or out of the blue and most certainly isn't some "crazy" take.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by FanSince'01

If it had been more than one series that Dallas played poorly against the Oilers (like LA), I'd be inclined to agree but that was only one series and it was in the midst of the Oilers having an inexplicable, historic post-season penalty kill. The Oilers completely shut Dallas out on the PP last year. That's not happening again this year should these two meet.

This year the Stars are deeper and the Oilers, despite how the first two rounds have gone, are not as deep. I don't see Dallas sleepwalking through the series so if the Oilers are going to advance, they're really going to have to earn it.

Deeper doesn't matter as McDavid and Draisaitl > depth. After what we have seen the past two years I don't know how you can bet against the Oilers in the west. Until a team in the West finally steps up it's all hope and conjecture at this point.

[Tbull8]

The most annoying thing is how realistic a Kings win was. Stupid challenge, and then a stupid play by Byfield.

Either of those things goes differently we're probably not in this position

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Yeah but it was the same story last year and the Stars kind of just rolled over for the Oilers. Maybe they have a bit more push back with Rantanen but it's clear the Oilers get into the heads of their opponents in the playoffs as the Kings after a promising start just faded away in the first round and the Knights are going down this round without much of a fight. The Stars may show up for the first few games but for the same reasons the Kings and Knights did, they will stop playing their game and the Oilers will comfortably win. You can tell yourself over and over that the Stars are the deeper team and better on paper but I wager very few here would put down their own money on the Stars winning because deep down most of us all know what's coming.

If you want to give me even odds in an Oilers/Stars series lets go

Oilers have made the finals ONE time, this nobody in the west ever steps up to take them out is nonsense.

Ducks, Hawks, Jets, Knights, and Avs have taken them out the other years in the McDavid/Drai era when they actually made the playoffs

[FanSince'01]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Deeper doesn't matter as McDavid and Draisaitl > depth. After what we have seen the past two years I don't know how you can bet against the Oilers in the west. Until a team in the West finally steps up it's all hope and conjecture at this point.

We just saw, though, that depth (Florida) does beat McDavid and Draisaitl as long as you play the the Oilers the right way. You can totally make the argument that Dallas might not have the right recipe to do that - I personally think they have a much better shot than last year and last year's failures don't guarantee a repeat - but I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens.

[3rd liner]

NHL.com reporting ekholm could be back for the grease pigs if they reach the west final. That was based on Knobby saying he's been doing light skates and they are 'hopeful' he can join them next series if they get there. Not guaranteed, but not ruling it out.