[PST] Second Round: Anaheim (1st pacific) vs Edmonton (2nd pacific)

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Soulless Sisters

You can always try to not take these things personally. It's just sports at the end of the day.

My team just finished 2nd last in a draft year without a Crosby/Tavares/McDavid/Matthews, and under new draft rules which don't render to us a good chance of picking 1st. Do you think all the chirping from my Flames and Oiler fan buddies is going to have me crawling into a cave? Lol, of course not.

Oilers in 7. McLellan is a better coach than Carlyle IMO, and I think Talbot stands on his head for a few games.

T-Mac has been a coach that has failed to get a supremely talented team and well balanced teams anywhere near the cup.

RC has at least been there and won it

I'd argue that without McDavid, that T-Mac is still a disaster.

[Soulless Sisters]

Originally Posted by midniteowl

How did you come to his conclusion?

There isn't a vast difference, but I think McLellan's in-game adjustments are one of his more unheralded qualities. Carlyle struggles with exactly that. It's why he was out-coached by Craig MacTavish in this exact same situation 11 years ago.

[Soulless Sisters]

Originally Posted by Steve Bozek

And you can thank the Oilers' years of ineptitude for your lowered chance of picking first.

Yeah, gotta admit that does sting....

[Soulless Sisters]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

T-Mac has been a coach that has failed to get a supremely talented team and well balanced teams anywhere near the cup.

RC has at least been there and won it

I'd argue that without McDavid, that T-Mac is still a disaster.

Then you clearly weren't watching what just transpired in this the series against SJ. Without McDavid and Draisaitl playing at their regular season levels, the Oilers still found a way to win.

Even in San Jose that wasn't a thing. Whenever Thornton, Marleau, Pavelski, Heatley had underwhelming production, the Sharks would go on to lose the series. I saw it first hand back in 2011.

[Robo]

don't even know who to cheer for in this one hopefully they just beat the hell out of each other and whoever wins gets swept in the next round

[steveo]

Originally Posted by Soulless Sisters

You can always try to not take these things personally. It's just sports at the end of the day.

My team just finished 2nd last in a draft year without a Crosby/Tavares/McDavid/Matthews, and under new draft rules which don't render to us a good chance of picking 1st. Do you think all the chirping from my Flames and Oiler fan buddies is going to have me crawling into a cave? Lol, of course not.

Oilers in 7. McLellan is a better coach than Carlyle IMO, and I think Talbot stands on his head for a few games.

haha, I guess its more of an annoyance? After so many years of "this is our year, we are better than flames!" and end up falling flat they are now finally correct and act as if they were the best team the whole time and if history doesn't matter unless its "5 cups bro!"

but I guess that's sports

[Soulless Sisters]

Originally Posted by steveo

haha, I guess its more of an annoyance? After so many years of "this is our year, we are better than flames!" and end up falling flat they are now finally correct and act as if they were the best team the whole time and if history doesn't matter unless its "5 cups bro!"

but I guess that's sports

I vaguely remember the mood around Edmonton in 2010 when they started their rebuilding project. Oiler fans were over the moon after they drafted Hall and thought that Hall, Eberle, Paajarvi would be the nucleus of a future contender in a short amount of time; taking after the Capitals, Penguins, and Blackhawks who had rebuilt in a short period from basement dwellers to elite teams/champions.

I kept pointing out that the Oilers'- as impressive as some of their forward prospects looked- wouldn't be going anywhere without a high-end #1 goalie as well as a revamped d-core. Not to mention that their team as a whole lacked size, grit, physicality, etc. I was repeatedly told that "I don't know hockey" and that I should just wait and see how the Canucks would fall short in the playoffs yet again. I guess they were somewhat right on that last bit.

7 years later, it's a completely different dynamic with that team. McDavid, Draisaitl, and Puljujarvi coming up are surrounded by a borderline Vezina-contender between the pipes, a decent and improving defense, and the nice composition of size, grit, physicality, and good defensive forwards. Their drafting under Chiarelli in the later rounds has also impressed me thoroughly, provided those guys translate their games to the NHL level.

I'm also confident that the Canucks will be able to rebuild quicker than it took the Oilers. That Oiler team in 2010 didn't have D prospects like Juolevi or Stecher, a Demko coming up in the pipeline, or the gritty two-way forwards like Horvat, Boeser, Virtanen, etc. 1-2 more years of bottoming out to get the high-end forwards and we'll be in good shape, provided we can Benning and Linden.

[LanceUppercut]

Originally Posted by jayswin

You're hope for the outcome of this series is for 17000+ innocent people to be killed in a natural disaster inside the arena, plus likely thousands more in the surrounding area?

Yes. Just make sure the Honda Centre is burned to the ground too.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by jayswin

You're hope for the outcome of this series is for 17000+ innocent people to be killed in a natural disaster inside the arena, plus likely thousands more in the surrounding area?

Personally, I'm thinking Oilers in 6.

Extinction level event. I'd rather see the end of the human race and life on the planet earth, than see one of these two scumbag teams win. Priorities man, priorities.

[CroFlames]

I'm bitter Oilers have McDavid. I don't think the Universe and God meant for that to happen, but lo, it did. He changes the dynamic of the whole organization.

That said, Go Ducks.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Soulless Sisters

Then you clearly weren't watching what just transpired in this the series against SJ. Without McDavid and Draisaitl playing at their regular season levels, the Oilers still found a way to win.

Even in San Jose that wasn't a thing. Whenever Thornton, Marleau, Pavelski, Heatley had underwhelming production, the Sharks would go on to lose the series. I saw it first hand back in 2011.

Playing a team that shot its bolt manhandling the Oilers in game 4. The San Jose sharks were a dead leg team that has now offered proof positive that its window is closed.

And look at it this way, during the regular season the oilers were a one line team, the underlying numbers showed it. T-Mac's only coaching move was to open the close the gate for McDavid as fast as he can. The rest of that team looked like the same dead team.

Without MacDavid, T-Mac is sending his resume's out to various fast food, insurance and convenience Stores this week. He's actually been a pretty underwhelming coach that road his pony to a rare success.

I'm betting that Carlyle manhandles him in terms of line matchups, and Cinderella turns into a pumpkin in this series.

The Ducks aren't the sharks, and they're getting two of their better defensemen back, and they play with an edge that San Jose only dreams about.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

I'm bitter Oilers have McDavid. I don't think the Universe and God meant for that to happen, but lo, it did. He changes the dynamic of the whole organization.

That said, Go Ducks.

I'm not bitter about it at all, he'll end up thinning that organization and then ripping their heart out the minute he goes UFA.

[Soulless Sisters]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Playing a team that shot its bolt manhandling the Oilers in game 4. The San Jose sharks were a dead leg team that has now offered proof positive that its window is closed.

If that were the case, the Sharks wouldn't have gone up 3-1 in game 5 until the final 2 minutes of the 2nd period. The game 5 debacle wasn't a matter of the Sharks being gassed (in regulation, anyways) as much as it was Peter DeBoer's prevent-defense approach which nullified their forecheck. IE a coaching flaw.

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

And look at it this way, during the regular season the oilers were a one line team, the underlying numbers showed it. T-Mac's only coaching move was to open the close the gate for McDavid as fast as he can. The rest of that team looked like the same dead team.

A large part of that was due to McLellan stapling Draisaitl to McDavid's wing in the new year after Eberle was flopping and Puljujarvi was too inexperienced. It killed the Oilers' ability to roll out two lines at all times. Still, the Lucic-RNH-Eberle trio came on strong to close out the year and had 50%+ CF to finish out the regular season. In these playoffs, McDavid and Draisaitl have fizzled and the Lucic-RNH-Eberle line put up Corsi numbers similar to the Bruins top line in the regular season. Somewhere around 58% I read.

The Oilers best game of the series in game 3 came when McLellan split up McDavid and Draisaitl again, with the latter playing 3C and Letestu shuffling down to the 4th line. I watched the last 40 minutes and the Oilers stymied the Sharks and were able to get rolling on the counter/transition each possession. The winning goal came due to a Draisaitl-Kassian forecheck forcing the turnover.

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Without MacDavid, T-Mac is sending his resume's out to various fast food, insurance and convenience Stores this week. He's actually been a pretty underwhelming coach that road his pony to a rare success.

C'mon, really? You think a team like the Sabres wouldn't have scooped up McLellan when he was available over a travesty like Dan Bylsma.

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I'm betting that Carlyle manhandles him in terms of line matchups, and Cinderella turns into a pumpkin in this series.

The Ducks aren't the sharks, and they're getting two of their better defensemen back, and they play with an edge that San Jose only dreams about.

It will be a very physical, spirited affair indeed. I think it will all boil down to goaltending. If Gibson fades like he did last year, and Talbot continues his play, then this series is for the Oilers.

[Soulless Sisters]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I'm not bitter about it at all, he'll end up thinning that organization and then ripping their heart out the minute he goes UFA.

You sound awfully bitter.. Lol JK.

IMO he's an Oiler for as long as they are a competitive team with him. I'd be shocked if he doesn't re-sign for 7 or 8 years this summer.

This is the same kid who could've refused to report to Erie as a 15-year old when he was drafted into the OHL. In the interview with Bobby Mac he disclosed how much he despises player who do that. He's too prideful and competitive to choose the easy route

[activeStick]

Anaheim in 4 or 5

[oldschoolcalgary]

A series i will not be watching... hopefully those teams beat each other to a pulp

[OffsideSpecialist]

Ducks in 6

[stang]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Playing a team that shot its bolt manhandling the Oilers in game 4. The San Jose sharks were a dead leg team that has now offered proof positive that its window is closed.

And look at it this way, during the regular season the oilers were a one line team, the underlying numbers showed it. T-Mac's only coaching move was to open the close the gate for McDavid as fast as he can. The rest of that team looked like the same dead team.

Without MacDavid, T-Mac is sending his resume's out to various fast food, insurance and convenience Stores this week. He's actually been a pretty underwhelming coach that road his pony to a rare success.

I'm betting that Carlyle manhandles him in terms of line matchups, and Cinderella turns into a pumpkin in this series.

The Ducks aren't the sharks, and they're getting two of their better defensemen back, and they play with an edge that San Jose only dreams about.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I'm not bitter about it at all, he'll end up thinning that organization and then ripping their heart out the minute he goes UFA.

I think you should start preparing for the eventuality of him re-signing there. It's extremely unlikely he doesn't. Yes, they got gifted a franchise saver to reward their incompetence, but it's not going away.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by EVERLAST

I want the oilers to win.

I want the flames to have a constant reminder we are better than the oilers and there is nothing better for bulletin board material than this.

Cheering for a team with Beiksa and Kesler riding on the coattails of Perry and Getzlaf. Nope. If those 2 pukes get near a silver trophy I'll puke.

Getz and Perry have all the trophy they'll need for a lifetime.

I'd rather get a hundred thousand paper cuts on my face.
I'd rather rip out my intestines with a fork
I'd rather slam my fingers in a door (Again and again and again and again and again)
I'd rather have my blood sucked out by leeches
Shove an icepick under a toenail or two
I'd rather clean all the bathrooms in Grand Central Station with my tongue
I'd rather jump naked on a huge pile of thumbtacks
Or stick my nostrils together with crazy glue
I'd rather dive into a swimming pool filled with double-edged razor blades
I'd rather rip my heart out of my ribcage with my bare hands and then throw it on the floor and stomp on it 'till I die....