"The Battle of Alberta" - Grant Fuhr on the Players Tribune
Article is pretty meh (IMO) but timely given tonight's matchup; +1 for vintage gifs:
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When I was getting my feet wet in the league with Edmonton during the early ’80s, the rivalry was just starting to really heat up. From pretty much 1981 on up through 1991, the Oilers and the Flames were the best of the best in our conference, and those matchups were some of the most intense, brutal and hard-fought that I’ve ever been a part of.
Everyone remembers the offensive firepower on those teams — Gretz and Jari and Messier … Glenn Anderson and Paul Coffey … Joe Nieuwendyk and Al MacInnis and Joey Mullen … and on and on — but what stands out for me more than anything else is how hard and mean the games were.
Every time we played Calgary … it would be mean and vicious.
It's a shame some of you are to young to have experienced the true BOA. It was hard core. Today's playoff hockey doesn't even measure up to those games.
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I mean, if you’re an Edmonton guy, you could have a bad year, but as long as you beat up on Calgary … it was going to be O.K. On the flip side, you could have a great year and if you played bad against Calgary … it was definitely not O.K.
Wish that was still the feeling among players. Just another game to them now.
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Originally Posted by fotze
If this day gets you riled up, you obviously aren't numb to the disappointment yet to be a real fan.
It's a shame some of you are to young to have experienced the true BOA. It was hard core. Today's playoff hockey doesn't even measure up to those games.
It's the reason I'm still a fan today. Without memories of that intensity to keep me going through the lacklustre times with this franchise, I'd probably have moved on by now.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fotze
If this day gets you riled up, you obviously aren't numb to the disappointment yet to be a real fan.
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Location: Wondering when # became hashtag and not a number sign.
Exp:
Quote:
Originally Posted by CliffFletcher
It's the reason I'm still a fan today. Without memories of that intensity to keep me going through the lacklustre times with this franchise, I'd probably have moved on by now.
Yeah the game was so much more intense back then...even the non-rivalry games, though the BOA was on an entirely different level.
The game has become so very soft in comparison. Players, literally, hated each other on the Flames and Oilers. The feeling between cities/fans was not much different. Probably way over the top, but it was what it was.
To some that may seen like waxing nostalgic, but it really isn't. Completely different game played with a passion you just dont see much if at all these days and the last 20 years. The odd playoff series will get there, and certainly most cup finals, but otherwise its just generic/go through the motions/ and see you next time.
I don't know. Back then we only got the see the good games. Now we see every game so it's saturated. I'm sure back in the 80s the Flames would go through the motions on a Tuesday night in Hartford. They still won though because there was no parity back then and the Whalers sucked.
Today the game is over coached and 3-2 close checking grindfests to get into the playoffs.
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Watching the Oilers defend is like watching fire engines frantically rushing to the wrong fire
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It's a shame some of you are to young to have experienced the true BOA. It was hard core. Today's playoff hockey doesn't even measure up to those games.
Cementhead Vs Hunter... Nothing will ever come close
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It wasn't just the BOA in the 80s and 90s. All of the rivalry games were more intense. Watch any Montreal Canadiens / Quebec Nordiques game from that era and they were equally as nasty and dirty.
It wasn't just the BOA in the 80s and 90s. All of the rivalry games were more intense. Watch any Montreal Canadiens / Quebec Nordiques game from that era and they were equally as nasty and dirty.
Today's game is about speed & skill.
Back then it really was a war.
Not many soldiers making $7M in this day and age.
Perhaps not coincidentally, the games get exponentially better as soon as the players stop getting paid and it actually does become a war on the ice.
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Mom and Dad love you, Rowan - February 15, 2024
Hey grant, I know that you played for the Flames and all, and thanks for that. But you're still a cake eating Oiler Dog, and because of that I hate you.
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My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
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Yeah Otto would have whooped Messier's ass in a fair fight, the only time he would fight Joel was when he Ferenced him and started throwing before Joel even had his gloves off. Messier's elbow to Nattress was also pretty brutal. Dirty dirty player, would have missed half the season in this era.
McSorley or someone else (maybe Brown?) was in the same boat with Hunter, would only fight when he jumped him and skated away from any normal challenges. Lots of tough guys but quite a few rats in the mix too.
There are probably hours worth of these, and new stuff always comes in as people dust off the archives, but a good taste. 30 years now though.
Lowe looking to high stick Hunter st beginning of that clip.
Sather saying he’d kill a fan guy in a fight then goes and hides. McSorely jumping from behind which was an MO (ask Brashear) and swinging st Sutter while restricted.
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A playoff series between these teams would get the temperature rising. Look at what Ducks and Flames is like every game
Games vs the Ducks feel more like arch rival games than games vs Edmonton or Vancouver. Which is all kinds of wrong. Guys hate each other, guys ribbing each other, knee on knees, dirty plays, crowds booing guys, Bennett playing ticked off, Kesler sitting on pucks like a ####.
Even now with the Oilers winning, aside from CM the rest of both rosters are often not engaged at all, or playing awful sloptastic hockey. Even with 7-5 games it looks and feels like a bunch of guys screwing around with the golden boy getting his couple rushes to be the difference.
Pathetic stuff from Gaudreau and Monahan in the BoA the past two seasons, they treat it like they're playing an eastern opponent. The intensity of a couple hamsters scurrying about.
Don't know what happened, but 2016 Gaudreau was absolutely feasting on them and charged up in those games, I distinctly remember it. Then he just......stopped. Along with most of the rest of the team. And aside from Eberle last season, the Oilers supporting cast have been equally unimpressive. It's sad when most of the players aren't even putting their best foot forward in the few games everyone and their dog would expect them to be.
Might be a little too much respect for the other side happening.
The fans want blood again! And you know...actual effort.
Games vs the Ducks feel more like arch rival games than games vs Edmonton or Vancouver. Which is all kinds of wrong. Guys hate each other, guys ribbing each other, knee on knees, dirty plays, crowds booing guys, Bennett playing ticked off, Kesler sitting on pucks like a ####.
Even now with the Oilers winning, aside from CM the rest of both rosters are often not engaged at all, or playing awful sloptastic hockey. Even with 7-5 games it looks and feels like a bunch of guys screwing around with the golden boy getting his couple rushes to be the difference.
Pathetic stuff from Gaudreau and Monahan in the BoA the past two seasons, they treat it like they're playing an eastern opponent. The intensity of a couple hamsters scurrying about.
Don't know what happened, but 2016 Gaudreau was absolutely feasting on them and charged up in those games, I distinctly remember it. Then he just......stopped. Along with most of the rest of the team. And aside from Eberle last season, the Oilers supporting cast have been equally unimpressive. It's sad when most of the players aren't even putting their best foot forward in the few games everyone and their dog would expect them to be.
Might be a little too much respect for the other side happening.
The fans want blood again!
I've thought those two look afraid in physical games or games against tough teams. The Oilers beefing up with Kassian, Maroon, Lucic etc seems to have almost perfectly coincided with their disappearing act.
Most teams don't care anymore and just ignore the cavemen but the Flames have basically been owned by the Oilers since the start of 2016 which is almost exactly when those three guys all came on board (Kassian and Maroon at the previous trade deadline and Lucic offseason).
"The Battle of Alberta" - Grant Fuhr on the Players Tribune
