I'm psychic, I knew that was going to end it.

 

So, I should stop dreaming of a Pens/Hawks Final because right now, I need to dream of a game 3 victory for Chicago in the 1st round.


Hory shet...Hawks are playing horribly.

 

Preds/Pens Final?

 

At this rate, it's Preds/Ducks/Blues/Oilers vs. Pens Final.

 

How about I just wish for ONE goal by the Hawks while I'm at it.

 

I could say the same for Edmonton. Still 0-0 after 40

San Jose came out fucking strong. 29 hits in the first period. Shots were 12-5 after 20.

But then the second period started. And the tables turned. San Jose just looks tired. Hopefully Edmonton capitalizes

 

Oilers win, 1-0!

2nd shutout in a row for Cam Talbot

2nd GWG for Zack Kassian!!

He's been by far our best player in the Playoffs so far. He's crushing guys on the ice, and just a force to reckon with Otherwise.

 

Crazy eyes

 

Damn good game by the Pens last night. That was an exciting hockey game to watch.

I am also secretly rooting for Edmonton to win as well.

Oh and thank you Blues for going up 3-0. I hate the Wild.

 

Preds 3 Yummycawks 0

 

holy jeez, what happened to Chicago?

Sounds like Calgary is hanging on by a thread also... or, not really. They're down 3-0 also... especially after they had a 2 goal lead with 10 minutes left in last night's game

 

CCC, you must be the only other person here rooting for the oilers, besides me. Don't ask yumchacha.... he'll give you an earful of how undeserving they are of everything, especially McJesus

 

definitely did not see this coming from the preds

 

I really like McDavid so that is part of but also I understand how shitty it is now to constantly be in the basement for basically the last 6 of 7 years as Colorado has been. Plus it is nice to see a team that hasn't been in the playoff for a while win even if they only make it out of the first round.

 

I went to bed last night and Calgary was up 2 goals, can't believe they blew the lead

 

I dunno.. there might've been one or two guys in management who maybe were trying to be basement dwellers... but at the same time, I'm not so convinced. I think they were just really bad at their jobs and would give enormous contracts to mediocre players (mostly because no one wanted to play in Edmonton), but also, because they hailed from a different era and didn't really grow with the game. They were just terrible people for the job.

I remember they interviewed the then GM [Kevin Lowe] about right handed vs left handed wingers, and in his mind, it didn't matter what side you shot from with regards to where you played. A left handed player, in his mind, was just as good on the left as the right side of the rink. Maybe 30 years ago, when he played, the difference was minor. Or they were just that good that it didn't matter for them. But it seems hockey players are the most elite of elite players these days, who train crazy hard and focus on the smallest detail in order to get that one half step ahead of their opponents. Was that the case 30 years ago? Likely not to the same levels it is these days.

The fans here were chapped for 11 years straight. This whole city eats, breathes and $hits hockey. Seriously, you see pickup trucks with 7 foot tall homemade oil derricks in the bed and oilers flags hanging in every direction. People paint their cars. Flags, decals, are everywhere. Jersey sales are up (according to the radio this morning) 1000% since last year. It's all this city really has in terms of sports entertainment. The wife and I watched the first two games at a pub and had to be there over 2 hours early to get seats- even then, it was close to 90% full. It's nuts.

The actions of two guys is blamed as being what everyone here wanted for 11 years. It's actually quite the contrary. I'm pretty sure the owner didn't want it either.. I mean, every playoff game fills his pockets with at least another million bucks. Wow I'm ranting way too much. I'll just shut up now and hope for the best for the remainder of the series

 

Just another day in Edmonton

 

you're...

 

@ Hawks...

 

Chicago has reached a point like the Pens before their Cup win last year, IMO...where a significant change-over needs to happen and/or let the farm/prospects further develop until they can get good enough to compete.

Out-skated, out-hit, out-shot, out-chanced by Nashville should be a sobering wake-up to the Hawks brass. Regular season was smokes and mirrors...

 

Anyways, Taco...congrats on the Oilers giving the Sharks everything they can handle. What a push-back by the Oil in Games 2 and 3...and regaining home ice.

 

Pens look unstoppable...



Surprises (or no surprise): Full-on choke happening by Brucey's Wild and of course, the Caps.

 

The Sharks look tired. The last several games we played them (regular season on playoffs), they come out VERY strong for the first 10-20 minutes, and then die after that. As long as the oil can keep them at bay for the first bit, they can beat them. This was all true except for game 1- but I wonder if nerves had more to do with that game. That was the first time more than half of the oil played a playoff game

but yeah, is Bruce done coaching? He seems to always choke in the playoffs. Who gives a shit how well you do in the regular season, if you can't even make it to round 2 in the post season... Year after year. But then again, the leafs are up on the caps this year. What the hell is going on with the caps?!

 

Pens are doing great... Are they still riddled with injuries? If so, they're only going to get better. What a crazy good team.

And shit... Wtf Chicago?!

 

Any team looks tired when the other is freaking faster and...well, winning.

Hawks look "tired" against the Preds right now...

 

No, it's crazy man... The Sharks can definitely bring it. They were destroying the oil in the last game. Almost 30 hits in the first period. Out shooting them. dominating the control of the puck... But then that's it. No second wind. After that first period, Edmonton took over. The Sharks just crumble. I wonder if it's because they have a lot of 30 something year olds on that team and they just can't bring it like they could a decade ago. I dunno.

When they are fresh, they can hand an ass whooping to Edmonton. They had 12 shots in the first period. Only 11 shots over the second and third

 

The Hawks have way too much money tied up with its core players. Toews making almost 3 mils more than Crosby and Malkin per year makes no sense. But hey when you won three fucking cups in 6 years you earned the rights to print your own cheques.

 

Talent drain...Chicago's success in the regular season was also boosted at times via OT and the gimmicks that extra time offers. 5-on-5, their numbers have been "off"...no longer the puck-hogging team that won the Cup 3 times. They are not big enough and well, age maybe a factor as that defense is no longer the monster it used to be. Preds just look faster and are playing with a pile of confidence. And that is contagious. On paper, would anyone have picked Nashville? Um I would think not but that's why you play the game. Hawks also do not have that gritty garbage-goal guy they had in Bickell, or Brouwer, and then Shaw. Way too much perimeter play...

The talent drain has obviously allowed teams like the Preds to catch up. Clearly, Subban and Ryan-Jo have been fantastic pick-ups. And man, the Caps must be slapping themselves for giving up Forsberg...

 

They showed who's still out the other day and it's an all star lineup that's not playing, Letang, Hagelin, Murray and Kunitz, but a few weeks ago, it was double that. Hard to believe they've played this well without Letang, but the 6 D-men have been playing great by committee and all averaging around the same 20 minute workload. It's been impressive for sure

 

I joke about the Wild but I am very surprised what has happened to them...and the fact they are allowing the Blues to look like world-beaters in that series.

The Habs/Rangers are not surprising me and are playing out the way I had thought. I'm definitely surprised about the Leafs/Caps...but, I suppose that fearlessness of youth is definitely there and the pressure of the world on WSH may be a factor. It's just 2-1 though and I can still easily see the Caps roaring back and winning in 6.

Flames are done. Hawks are finished too. Takes a bit of luck...I legitimately thought Chicago would win but then you had that weird bounce go in to make it 2-1 and then that gray area goal to make it 2-2...where if you asked me, it was interference...but, probably some bias there? Still, if a goalie is planted (EVEN IF HE'S A BIT OUT OF THE CREASE), he as a right to make the play. He clearly got hit...so, not sure how that counts as a goal Some of these gray-area ruling in the NHL drive me bonkers.

 

I joke about the Wild but I am very surprised what has happened to them...and the fact they are allowing the Blues to look like world-beaters in that series.

The Habs/Rangers are not surprising me and are playing out the way I had thought. I'm definitely surprised about the Leafs/Caps...but, I suppose that fearlessness of youth is definitely there and the pressure of the world on WSH may be a factor. It's just 2-1 though and I can still easily see the Caps roaring back and winning in 6.

Flames are done. Hawks are finished too. Takes a bit of luck...I legitimately thought Chicago would win but then you had that weird bounce go in to make it 2-1 and then that gray area goal to make it 2-2...where if you asked me, it was interference...but, probably some bias there? Still, if a goalie is planted (EVEN IF HE'S A BIT OUT OF THE CREASE), he as a right to make the play. He clearly got hit...so, not sure how that counts as a goal Some of these gray-area ruling in the NHL drive me bonkers.

 

I actually HATE the goal review coaches are doing now, to see if a goal/play was offside. Fuck me, if you need to analyze a replay for 15 minutes, the goal should count regardless. There is zero advantage the scoring team had, by their player crossing the line 0.05 seconds too soon.

9/10 times the coach doesn't even see the goal being offside. They just call for a review just in case. And if it isn't called as being offside, the penalty is so minor. Oh no, you lose a time out which you likely wouldn't have used anyway. Big whoop.

Yeah, flames are done. The wild are done. I dunno about the Hawks, but likely done. And I agree, the caps can still bring it. They have the potential to destroy the leafs.

 

^ I disagree, I think the challenge has been a great addition, more for the goalie interference than the offside, but there's been a few goals scored against the Pens where the guy was way offsides, and the goalie didn't have a chance to get set in time, so I do think there's some advantage

 

It goes both ways. It has worked to the oilers advantage, too. But a bunch of the time the coach calls for a review knowing full well it was a legit goal, just hoping on the off chance to get lucky with the review. I think the idea of the review is good... I think it's being poorly used, half the time though. It just seems like a really cheap way to cover a team's screw up.

for goal tender interference- sure. For being offside by a nano second- no way.

 

I guess it depends on the coach, our coach gets the call from the coach up top with the replay equipment and he's usually spot on, guess it really depends on the coach if they're using it just to guess

 

Those Oiler fans pictures are crazy above. I hope that person really didn't paint their car with paint and a brush as it appears on that orange Ford. I would hope it is dip material of some sort but have a feeling it might not be.

 

Those Oiler fans pictures are crazy above. I hope that person really didn't paint their car with paint and a brush as it appears on that orange Ford. I would hope it is dip material of some sort but have a feeling it might not be.

 

You have no idea what people do here. And yeah, that paint looks brutal.

Just saw a 6ft tall snowman the other day, wearing an Oilers jersey, holding an inflatable shark up by its tail

yes, I said snowman. The snow was all gone here, up until a few days ago. It's been snowing like bananas since

 

Well, when the Hawks get eliminated by the Preds, I will be rooting to see the Oil advance. They are entertaining and well, McDavid really is a treat to watch. I'm seriously impressed with how they've played the last 2 games...and WTF at Kassian. Wow, talk about reclamation project!

Pens look unstoppable and if they keep it up, they will have a great chance to repeat.

 

I really enjoy watching Kassian play. He is a mean, rough and tough player. He's one of those guys I would never want to fight on the ice... His crazy eyes paired with his punching skills are terrifying.

I don't know if there is an official stat for it, but I wouldn't be surprised if Kassian was #1 for disallowed goals this year. He's been bit in the ass so many times. He didn't put up big numbers this year, but he can skate pretty fast and he has a decent shot. I'm guessing his low numbers were partially due to him being on the 4th line, so he didn't get a lot of ice time.

all I can say is good for him for getting his life back together and not squandering a golden opportunity that many others would kill for. Oilers did take a risk by picking him up, but it seems to be paying for itself now. He's done the rest by proving he's able to play.