All Time Draft First Round - Vancouver Canucks @ Edmonton Oilers

Nalyd Psycho

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Feb 27, 2002
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Uggh, the winner of this series gets to play the Clippers?

Well neither team is going to take the easy way out so why not take out Namaimo along the way to victory......:yo:

Depends if there is an upset or not. If there is an upset, then you don't get Nanaimo. No upset, yeah, you get the well rested team.
 

Frightened Inmate #2

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I think that Foote is similar to Stevens, but minus the intimidation factor (on Footes part of course) and that was a significant part of Stevens game as forwards always had to keep their head up when he was on the ice or at least they should have (still don't like the Willis hit but that is besides the point).

Perhaps the best thing for the Canucks to do is seperate their offensive threats into three scoring lines, none of which are as potent as their top line is (not even close) but at the same time allows for scoring threats to get away from the defensive line of Edmonton... something alone the lines of

Graves - Schmidt - Loob
Shutt - Staal - Conacher
Naslund - Broten - Bellows

This goes a long way to spreading out the offensive threats that the Canucks have throughout the lineup, it will all depend on the way in which the series is going, as Lemaire has been known to shuffle the lines when things are not going his way.
 

arrbez

bad chi
Jun 2, 2004
13,352
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Toronto
You are right about Sitler though his playoff performances should be evidence of that enough, just look at his cup rings... oh no cup rings. Ok look at the number of times that he has helped his team get past the first round... oh he has only played over 10 playoff games in a single season once.... yeah he doesn`t seem like the big bad threat that he did in the regular season all of a sudden. Plus Bellows and Graves were solid defensive players in their day and should be able to take care of whatever playoff performers you can throw at them. Just remember 5 at a time.

Darryl Sittler is a bad playoff performer now? He's at a point-per-game, and had some HUGE performances. Dude scored 21 points in 9 games in 1977. He can hardly be blamed for the failings of a franchise that was perpetually undermined by Harold Ballard.

I don't know about anyone else, but your condescending tone is really making me not want to even consider voting for you, even before properly evaluating this match. You should play nicer.
 
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Murphy

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Apr 2, 2005
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Edmonton
Darryl Sittler is a bad playoff performer now? He's at a point-per-game, and had some HUGE performances. Dude scored 21 points in 9 games in 1977. He can hardly be blamed for the failings of a franchise that was perpetually undermined by Harold Ballard.

I don't know about anyone else, but your condescending tone is really making me not want to even consider voting for you, even before properly evaluating this match. Might want to work on that.

hmmmm, Cherry's messing with Orrs head, Foote is getting compared to Stevens and now the forward lineup is getting juggled around and second guessed............:naughty:

I agree, Sittlers the man! this gm loves him and he seems to me a Cherry kind of guyas well. I don't think Gretzky and Lemieux together could help a team managed by Ballard but Sittler persevered and excelled anyways. The guy was as well rounded as anyone and on this team will provide exceptional second line punch. I'd expect a couple huge performances out of him before this series is over.

Just for the record FFI and I have battled before and we've talked before. He's not being condecending to me in the least. We've both agreed to go all out and neither of us is taking this personally.
 

arrbez

bad chi
Jun 2, 2004
13,352
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Toronto
Just for the record FFI and I have battled before and we've talked before. He's not being condecending to me in the least. We've both agreed to go all out and neither of us is taking this personally.

Ah, alright then. As long as it's all in good sport, flame on young men, flame on.
 

Frightened Inmate #2

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Jun 26, 2003
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Ah, alright then. As long as it's all in good sport, flame on young men, flame on.

Yeah everyone knows that I respect Murphy, even if he is an Oilers fan whose teams can't score more goals than a young girls ringette team and whose coach can't count properly and couldn't win with the best player of all time on his side (and yet he expects to stop him).... I laugh at the mere thought of it.... ha.... haha.

But realistically I think that either team could take this series, but what I think it all comes down to is the special teams after Edmonton takes stupid penalty after stupid penalty leading to some of the talented Canuck players being able to pile the pucks in the net.
 

God Bless Canada

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Jul 11, 2004
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I think that Foote is similar to Stevens, but minus the intimidation factor (on Footes part of course) and that was a significant part of Stevens game as forwards always had to keep their head up when he was on the ice or at least they should have (still don't like the Willis hit but that is besides the point).

Perhaps the best thing for the Canucks to do is seperate their offensive threats into three scoring lines, none of which are as potent as their top line is (not even close) but at the same time allows for scoring threats to get away from the defensive line of Edmonton... something alone the lines of

Graves - Schmidt - Loob
Shutt - Staal - Conacher
Naslund - Broten - Bellows

This goes a long way to spreading out the offensive threats that the Canucks have throughout the lineup, it will all depend on the way in which the series is going, as Lemaire has been known to shuffle the lines when things are not going his way.
Staal and Conacher? I like Eric, a lot, I think he's going to go down as one of the top five or six all-round forwards drafted in this decade. But put him on a line with Conacher at this stage in his career? Staal's way out of his league, at 22, on a line with one of the top 10 RW's of all-time.

Honestly, Elvi, I think Schmidt and Conacher have to be together. I think they're better as a unit than separate. Especially since I'm not sure you have an RW who belongs on a line with Schmidt, and you definitely don't have a centre who's a strong fit for Conacher.

Part of the problem with playing a team like Edmonton (or my team or Spit's team) is that no matter which line you play, you're going to face strong checkers, especially on the wings in Edmonton's case. So you can spread the lines around and watch them all get shut down, or you can load up one line, cross your fingers, and know that if your gunners can put up points against Murphy's potential five-man unit, and your team can survive this round, they can put up points against any team.
 

Murphy

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Apr 2, 2005
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Edmonton
Yeah everyone knows that I respect Murphy, even if he is an Oilers fan whose teams can't score more goals than a young girls ringette team and whose coach can't count properly and couldn't win with the best player of all time on his side (and yet he expects to stop him).... I laugh at the mere thought of it.... ha.... haha.

But realistically I think that either team could take this series, but what I think it all comes down to is the special teams after Edmonton takes stupid penalty after stupid penalty leading to some of the talented Canuck players being able to pile the pucks in the net.

Count this. 15, thats a big 1-5, thats the total of former captains on the Oil. The leadership here is rediculous. They know when to take penalties and when not to. Who to goad and who won't bite.

I'll concede the Oil will probably take more penalties, thats definitely a by product of a physical game but it won't be a parade to the box. I don't think special teams will be all that much a factor actually.

Its almost like Vancouvers scouting staff get out on the road, party it up during pre-game and send back game reports while drunk. Special team battles? under-rating Stevens shut down ability, belittling Sittler and calling the defense slow? Seems what the Nucks are hoping for and counting on is the legendary too many men penalty. Thats not going to happen twice.......;)
 

Murphy

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Apr 2, 2005
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Edmonton
Honestly, Elvi, I think Schmidt and Conacher have to be together. I think they're better as a unit than separate. Especially since I'm not sure you have an RW who belongs on a line with Schmidt, and you definitely don't have a centre who's a strong fit for Conacher.

I agree, Schmidt and Conacher are a formidable duo. I don't know what it'll do to the rest of the lines but I think Graves would be an excellent LW for them.
 

Frightened Inmate #2

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Count this. 15, thats a big 1-5, thats the total of former captains on the Oil. The leadership here is rediculous. They know when to take penalties and when not to. Who to goad and who won't bite.

To many leaders in a dressing room can have the same impact as to few leaders in a dressing room though, and being a captain in and of itself doesn't mean much to me, think about it at the current time there are at least 30 captains or former captains playing in the NHL, the number likely closer to 60... and that isn't including players who have the rotating captaincy....

Look at the Canucks in terms of captains...

Naslund, Schmidt, Conacher, Broten, Skrudland, Rolston, Bellows, Foote, Macoun have all been captains at one point or another in their careers, that doesn't necessarly mean that leadership is one of my strengths.
 

Murphy

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Apr 2, 2005
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Edmonton
I think it means a dressing room full of like-minded individuals. All with the character in them needed to do the job at hand. You think a Sutter is going to go in a sulk because they want to lead or are they just going to do whats needed to win?
 

Murphy

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Apr 2, 2005
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lol, nothing like a face full of snow shower followed up by a little chew spat upon him. I'm thinking Richters going to snap and yet this will be yet one more storyline that will cause fireworks.
 

God Bless Canada

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Jul 11, 2004
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Bentley reunion
lol, nothing like a face full of snow shower followed up by a little chew spat upon him. I'm thinking Richters going to snap and yet this will be yet one more storyline that will cause fireworks.
Geez, where's Ron Francis with a dump in from centre ice when you need it? Do we have a trade deadline in this thing? Any chance for a Sittler for Francis type swap?
 

pitseleh

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Jul 30, 2005
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Another thing that is being downplayed is the Orr effect. While I like Edmonton's second line better than Vancouver's, assuming Orr spends time away from Vancouver's big line, that's a secondary scoring threat that will be extremely difficult to contain. Assuming Edmonton's first defensive pairing plays the majority of the game against Vancouver's first line, I can see the other two pairings having trouble containing Orr. But that depends on how much free reign he is given by Lemaire.
 

Frightened Inmate #2

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Another thing that is being downplayed is the Orr effect. While I like Edmonton's second line better than Vancouver's, assuming Orr spends time away from Vancouver's big line, that's a secondary scoring threat that will be extremely difficult to contain. Assuming Edmonton's first defensive pairing plays the majority of the game against Vancouver's first line, I can see the other two pairings having trouble containing Orr. But that depends on how much free reign he is given by Lemaire.

That is one very understated point, it isn't really going to be 5 unit hockey as can be seen with coaches such as Bowman, Orr will not be attached to the first line, Orr as well as Foote will be on the ice for roughly 30 minutes a game and will play with all of the top three lines, so it isn't going to be as easy to nullify Orr as many here would like to think.
 

pitseleh

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Jul 30, 2005
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That is one very understated point, it isn't really going to be 5 unit hockey as can be seen with coaches such as Bowman, Orr will not be attached to the first line, Orr as well as Foote will be on the ice for roughly 30 minutes a game and will play with all of the top three lines, so it isn't going to be as easy to nullify Orr as many here would like to think.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. My guess is that you'll see at least one of Orr or Schmidt/Conacher for at least 40 mins/game. So there will be significant portions of the game where one of Edmonton's second or third pairing will be on the ice against them.
 

Murphy

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Apr 2, 2005
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Dammit, almost two pages and Orr was for the most part being ignored, just the way I wanted it.

How do you contain Orr? You don't....you just try and limit his scoring chances and the end to end rushes.

With the checking line mostly matched up against the Conacher/Schmidt duo I think the best tactic will be to matchup Stevens when Orr's on the ice. This should do a few things. As good as Orr is, he's not going to school Stevens very often and with Orr's reckless disregard for his own well being, I'd hope the best open ice hitter in the business is able to catch Orr a couple times. I don't want to see him get hurt, just have Orr second guessing his style and being leary of Stevens when he's trying to rush.

With the shut down line looking after Schmidt I don't want another checker or line specifically for Orr. That would take to much time away from going on the attack. That said any line thats out there, the winger is going to have to be aware of him and not over commit at anytime.

Orr has a temper and isn't afraid to mix it up. A physical game plan means never letting an opportunity to hit Orr go by. He'll be hit, jabbed, antagonized at every chance. Orr will stick up for himself and mix it up as well. Orr in the penalty box is the best outcome possible for the Oil.

Don Cherry knows him inside and out. He'll know what to say to antagonize, he knows what type of game Orr loves best and try to take it away from him.

He's the best player in the series and will definitely be recieving special attantion by everyone this series. I see Konstantinov, Hall, Macoun and Graves trying to defend their star and causing some mayhem as well. They're warriors as are the Sutters, Lindsay, Stewart, Stewart and Stevens. These guys aren't going to back down from each other or be intimidated. Its going to be great!
 

Frightened Inmate #2

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Correction, Don Cherry likes to think he knows the ins and outs of Bobby Orr but at the same time does he really know what it means to stop Bobby? He has always (except with the woefull Rockies) had the advantage of having Orr on his team, will he really be able to react when Orr is on the other side of the equation, I think not. Cherry is a smart hockey mind, just not as smart as he likes to think he is.

That being said if you look at Orr's PIM statistics in the playoffs he has barely over 1 PIM per game, so a penalty every two games on average, a reduction from the regular season, so he knows how to play a diciplined game when the chips are down, can Lindsay say the same? Can anyone on the Oilers roster really gear down and play a strong, yet disiplined game? I really don't see it from the roster. They are going to get in penalty trouble, and even with a great checking line they will be in tough when it comes to holding off the offensive weapons that the Canucks have to offer on their first two lines. I mean if you take away the cheap shots that will get called, what will you be left with in Lindsay, will he be as effective a player?
 

Murphy

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Apr 2, 2005
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Worried about Ted Lindsay? He was a major player in all his cup wins (twice as many as Orr btw) He's considered the second best LW ever. He's the complete package. It's not like he's going to be Link Gaetz out there.
 

Frightened Inmate #2

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Depending on how much he plays, I could see Joe Hall out PIM'ing anyone on Edmonton's team.

Hall is mainly going to be seeing between 10-15 minutes a game for that reason depending on his restraint, something that is preached by Lemaire... add to that Hall was at least according to some sources felt he could change his game and was in a sense a bit embarased about some of the goon tactics.

As for Lindsay, I love the guy I really do (in a platonic way :)) but I can see him getting into penalty trouble over the course of a series given the amount of ice time that he will have coupled with his style of play and the undisiplined coaching of Don Cherry. He was always near the top of the PIMs when he played and I can only see the PIM totals rising relative to his era (more games, plus tighter reffing)...
 

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