WCF: Edmonton Oilers (P3) vs Dallas Stars (C2) - Oilers win 4-1

[Derek Sutton]

Originally Posted by kipperiggy

Last year in my heart I knew they wouldn't win. I hate how apathetic I've become this year.

#### Bettman and this divisional format. Not even because it's a cakewalk to the SCF for the Oilers. The same match-ups over and over? 2nd and 3rd round series over in 5 games? Boring as hell.

Why are people blaming the playoff format? The current format gets the best teams into the playoffs which would make for more competition, better games and even harder to win the conference. Divisional playoff the Oilers would’ve played the Kings, winner of Vegas/ Flames and the winner of the Central division. The path to where we are now does not change much at all. Stars Avalanche would still have been a first round match up in the Central division.

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by Derek Sutton

Why are people blaming the playoff format? The current format gets the best teams into the playoffs which would make for more competition, better games and even harder to win the conference. Divisional playoff the Oilers would’ve played the Kings, winner of Vegas/ Flames and the winner of the Central division. The path to where we are now does not change much at all. Stars Avalanche would still have been a first round match up in the Central division.

I think kipperiggy means 1-8 and not divisional. Dallas and Edmonton would have been in the first round I believe.

I also don't get how the current format gets the best teams into the playoffs. The best teams are going to get in anyway because they have the most points. With the current format you might have a situation where a division is so weak that teams from the other who should get in don't because there's not enough wild card spots.

[curves2000]

I don't know about blaming the format, all the teams play the same game and the same format. They are a good playoff team this year, well coached and seem to have some strange depth losing their #1D, #1 goalie, #2 goalie and more.

One could argue they have effectively swept Dallas, Vegas and won 4 straight vs LA. In Dallas and Vegas, it was an own goal and a game 1 meltdown with a massive lead in the 3rd .These are not exactly paper tiger teams of the west.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Inferno

I remember Zhadorov giving Pissy whacks to his ankle in 2022. They didn't punish him enough as they could have though.

And SN had a whole segment saying how awful it was

[dino7c]

Its not just about the Oilers, the format has made the playoffs a bore for the most part. Just about every matchup we have seen recently

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

The way western teams have shown up, the Flames could have made it two rounds.

The western conference used to be harder to get out of than beating the eastern finalist.

The hell happened.

[curves2000]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

Resting McDavid and Draisaitl for a couple of weeks before the playoffs worked.

It will usher in a new era of resting star players before the playoffs.

See I think there was some legit injury concerns with McDavid and Leon as opposed to just resting then. It wasn't like Edmonton had playoffs locked down weeks in advance. These guys play big big minutes, #97 trains and trains and skates literally non stop. They came off a very short summer, Edmonton is a bad travel city. He didn't play well post tournament either due to fatigue (Crosby indicated massive fatigue)

How they handled Kane appears to be more suspect

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by kipperiggy

Last year in my heart I knew they wouldn't win. I hate how apathetic I've become this year.

#### Bettman and this divisional format. Not even because it's a cakewalk to the SCF for the Oilers. The same match-ups over and over? 2nd and 3rd round series over in 5 games? Boring as hell.

The worst the playoffs have been since I've been around.

Most exciting hockey to this point has been the FLA-TOR series.

[direwolf]

Sounds like Hyman is out for the rest of the playoffs. That’s a big loss for the grease pigs. Hopefully Florida can take advantage.

[White Out 403]

Originally Posted by direwolf

Sounds like Hyman is out for the rest of the playoffs. That’s a big loss for the grease pigs. Hopefully Florida can take advantage.

I hope Kane and Perry collide in practice and miss months of hockey. Intrusive thoughts.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by howard_the_duck

Massive blow to the Oilers forward depth losing Hyman. That's a big blow to their cup chances IMO.

Agreed. Easily their 3rd best forward - far more important and irreplaceable than The Nuge.

He's an integral part of their forecheck

[FanSince'01]

Originally Posted by curves2000

I don't know about blaming the format, all the teams play the same game and the same format. They are a good playoff team this year, well coached and seem to have some strange depth losing their #1D, #1 goalie, #2 goalie and more.

One could argue they have effectively swept Dallas, Vegas and won 4 straight vs LA. In Dallas and Vegas, it was an own goal and a game 1 meltdown with a massive lead in the 3rd .These are not exactly paper tiger teams of the west.

The format is absolutely a problem, though. Boring, repetitive matchups (who was honestly asking for LA/Edmonton AGAIN in the first round apart from Oiler fans?) and top teams playing each other in the first round when it should be round 2 or later in reality are becoming major issues and it's ruining the product (and shows with the downturn in viewership this year)

Setting aside whether or not the format helps the Oilers or whether they'd be in the same spot if the format were different, both conference final matchups should've been first-round matchups - that's all you need to know to know that the format is messed up.

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Agreed. Easily their 3rd best forward - far more important and irreplaceable than The Nuge.

He's an integral part of their forecheck

I also feel like Kane has disappeared again. They will need him to step up.

Hyman out makes it harder to load up their 1st line.

Not sure if Brown is out for a while but he was playing well too. Hopefully Florida can get healthy, and Dallas wins game 5 at minimum.

[midniteowl]

Originally Posted by White Out 403

I hope Kane and Pissy collide in practice and miss months of hockey. Intrusive thoughts.

fyp

[topfiverecords]

I hope Kane slips on a track suit in the shower and knocks Perry into Pissy.

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

It's hard to credit the teams we hate so much but that roster has bought in and it's evident they want the cup much more than their opponents.

So hard to give them credit that some are going to the extent of blaming the playoff format, and calling every team they have beat pathetic, whereas they were higher in the standings than the Oilers were both in the divisional format, and 1-8 format. Discounting the teams they feel would've done better against the Oilers, lost to the teams that Oilers are sleepwalking through.

The Oilers are just simply playing better than the others are. The McDavid/Draisaitl combo with stingy defensive play is finally getting the results the hockey experts were expecting from the Oilers all these seasons. Knob has surprisingly been the coach to figure it out for the team when it comes to playoffs it appears.

[Torture]

Originally Posted by WideReceiver

So the Stars broke the Oilers’ Hyman.

Sometimes when the joke is this obvious you can just leave it be, I promise.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

It's hard to credit the teams we hate so much but that roster has bought in and it's evident they want the cup much more than their opponents.

It’s also evident Knoblauch is a pretty good coach. He has to be to get that roster to buckle down without the puck.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

It’s also evident Knoblauch is a pretty good coach. He has to be to get that roster to buckle down without the puck.

Maybe the players finally realized that the coaches are there to help.

[kevman]

And yet the fans were calling for Knoblauch's head a few months ago.