Pre-Game Talk: Decisions Decisions Decisions v2.0

[ChaoticOrange]

Darnell Nurse has been on for 8 5v5 goals against in the second round.

Every other Oiler defenceman combined has been on for 14.

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

 

[BlackDogg]

I wonder if Mcdavid and Drai will end up like the Sharks team that was good in the reg season but never got it done. Man it's hard to win it all, 2nd and 3rd round might be the ceiling. It's a shame but it's reality.

Connor had an extra gear two years ago against LA but nothing since.

 

[Shizuka]

Darnell Nurse has been on for 8 5v5 goals against in the second round.

Every other Oiler defenceman combined has been on for 14.

That GWG last night in the final minute.. guess who was on? The dynamic duo, Nurse and Bouchard. Can't make this shit up.. Nurse is demonstrably unworthy of anything near #1 D pay and yet is pulling in $9.25 million per season. That one chirp by an opposition player on how he doesn't do anything... and also that anonymous survey of NHL players on the most overrated of their brethren, and Nurse was one of the notorious standouts.. f***ing hell.

 

[soothsayer]

This is the crossroad where we see if this team is truly worthy of a championship. History has taught us this:

2009 Penguins: 2nd round, down 0-2 to Washington, force game 7 and clinch. Cup finals, down 0-2 to Detroit, and then 2-3. Crosby and co win game 6 and 7 for his first chip

2013 Blackhawks: 2nd round, down 1-3 vs Detroit. Force game 7 and win in OT. En route to Toews and Kane 2nd chip

2014 Kings: 1st round down 0-3 to SJ, come back and win in 7. 2nd round down 2-3 to Anaheim, win game 6 and 7, en route to Kopitar and co. 2nd chip

2015 Hawks: 3rd round, dowm 2-3 vs Anaheim, win game 6 and 7 en route to Kane Toews 3rd chip

2016 Penguins: 3rd round, down 2-3 vs Tampa, win game 6 and 7 en route to Crosby and co. 2nd chip

2018 Capitals: 1st round, down 0-2 to Columbus, come back and win series.
3rd round, down 2-3 vs Tampa, win game 6 and 7, en route to Ovechkin and co. 1st chip

There are plenty more examples, but the particular ones above mimic what we have right now. A pair/few Superstar generational talents, in their prime. Each time they were faced with the ultimate adversity of being eliminated, they persevere and ascend themselves and the team into the next phase.

This is the McDavid and co. era, and now faced with the same Crossroads the previous generational talents were tested on. We'll witness if this team us truly a team destined for greatness.
I believe they are. And we're going to see an asended Edmonton Oilers team on Saturday, and hopefully on Monday

This is a great post. This has been a counter-punch series, and the fanbase that gets too excited after a win has consistently looked foolish the next game.

The Oilers are going to play their best game of the playoffs tomorrow, and at their respective bests, the Oilers are the better team. I have no doubt the Oilers dominate the Canucks and win tomorrow. Everything will depend on that game 7, and anything can happen at that point. There are strong 2022 LA Kings vibes in this series.

 

[CycloneSweep]

This is a great post. This has been a counter-punch series, and the fanbase that gets too excited after a win has consistently looked foolish the next game.

The Oilers are going to play their best game of the playoffs tomorrow, and at their respective bests, the Oilers are the better team. I have no doubt the Oilers dominate the Canucks and win tomorrow. Everything will depend on that game 7, and anything can happen at that point. There are strong 2022 LA Kings vibes in this series.

This series has Vegas series vibes.
The LA series we straight up crushed them a few games and it wasn't close.

The Vegas series the game results so far have been identical. The series was back and forth but Vegas put their foot down and crushed game 6 after a close game 5.

Add to the fact that McDavid has looked like playoff Nuge this series doesn't help.

I expect some push back but they will cheat for some offense give up some high quality chances and ultimately lose. This team is just Toronto West. We can just routinely beat LA.

 

[Oilers333]

Its not over but it pretty much is IMO. All the bounces have gone Van's way. We can't hold a lead if the team staying together depended on it. Blowing a 4-1 lead in the first game was a pre-curser.

This team needed a goalie to f**ing show up big for them for once in the playoffs. It finally happened and the rest of the team decided to not show up on the same night. Things just are not lining up for Oil right now and I dont see it changing for two games in a row.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

Its not over but it pretty much is IMO. All the bounces have gone Van's way. We can't hold a lead if the team staying together depended on it. Blowing a 4-1 lead in the first game was a pre-curser.

This team needed a goalie to f**ing show up big for them for once in the playoffs. It finally happened and the rest of the team decided to not show up on the same night. Things just are not lining up for Oil right now and I dont see it changing for two games in a row.

Which is why Holland failed so badly at the deadline. And for most of five years. One impactful trade to help his team in five years on the job.

When you're not getting the luck, the roster has to be good enough to manufacture its own and outchance/outhit/outplay the opposition and we did none of that last night.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

We have a better chance winning the cup than that happening...

Better chance of getting winning if they do, win/win all around

 

[Louis Cypher]

Everyone's talking about Ceci but he wasn't the problem last night. Had a good game actually. +1, over 20 mins and 3 hits. Nurse -1 1 hit, Bouch was bad.

 

[Ibanez]

Everyone's talking about Ceci but he wasn't the problem last night. Had a good game actually. +1, over 20 mins and 3 hits. Nurse -1 1 hit, Bouch was bad.

Nurse still hits? Neat

 

[Ibanez]

Dude has zero bass in his voice.

I wonder if Mcdavid and Drai will end up like the Sharks team that was good in the reg season but never got it done. Man it's hard to win it all, 2nd and 3rd round might be the ceiling. It's a shame but it's reality.

Sure looking that way. We wait

 

[TheNumber4]

Everyone's talking about Ceci but he wasn't the problem last night. Had a good game actually. +1, over 20 mins and 3 hits. Nurse -1 1 hit, Bouch was bad.

Nurse still on ice for 2. Can’t blame him directly for any goals, but like make one f***in defensive play. A block, a pass intercept, an effective net front clear. Dudes blowing it for us these playoffs.

 

[brentashton]

I wonder if Mcdavid and Drai will end up like the Sharks team that was good in the reg season but never got it done. Man it's hard to win it all, 2nd and 3rd round might be the ceiling. It's a shame but it's reality.

Well, we did have Todd McLellan coaching them in their developmental years.

Just sayin’.

That said, I sure hope not. I just hope the next game isn’t Drai’s last as an Oiler. That will be be sadder than them bowing out of this year’s SC a tourney (even though both are also connected).

 

[McBigYak]

Well, we did have Todd McLellan coaching them in their developmental years.

Just sayin’.

That said, I sure hope not. I just hope the next game isn’t Drai’s last as an Oiler. That will be be sadder than them bowing out of this year’s SC a tourney (even though both are also connected).

You'd have to think this is likely the case.

If he is questioning re-signing when the window opens to sign him, Oilers likely move him for assets to take a run at it without Draisaitl and a year left of McDavid.

Keeping him the best option for the short-term obviously, but losing him and not acquiring assets back will haunt the organization for many many years.

 

[brentashton]

You'd have to think this is likely the case.

If he is questioning re-signing when the window opens to sign him, Oilers likely move him for assets to take a run at it without Draisaitl and a year left of McDavid.

Keeping him the best option for the short-term obviously, but losing him and not acquiring assets back will haunt the organization for many many years.

Your rational take just saddens me more. I’m going to go drink a cup of coffee and ponder life.

 

[McAsuno]

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Who would've thought a 3rd straight consecutive playoff season with both Nurse and Ceci would be net negative offensively and defensively?? f*** you, Ken Holland.

 

[TheNumber4]

Who would've thought a 3rd straight consecutive playoff season with both Nurse and Ceci would be net negative offensively and defensively?? f*** you, Ken Holland.

Guy had all the information in the world to realize that Ceci needed to be gone. Holland can seriously f*** himself.

 

[McAsuno]

Guy had all the information in the world to realize that Ceci needed to be gone. Holland can seriously f*** himself.

Traded for Troy Stecher as a band-aid solution to fix a deeper wound, and yet Stecher isn't even played whatsoever. Watch that piece of shit ruin CBJ even more.

 

[McShogun99]

Who should start game 6? It's an elimination game and Skinner is the starter and tends to play good after some rest but Pickard has been good the last 2 games but he should have had goals 1 and 2 last night.

 

[TheNumber4]

Traded for Troy Stecher as a band-aid solution to fix a deeper wound, and yet Stecher isn't even played whatsoever. Watch that piece of shit ruin CBJ even more.

I’m not even sold on Stecher. Needed an upgrade on Ceci, and Holland gets a guy that is barely seen as that. So Knob not playing the non-upgrade I could see.

 

[McAsuno]

I’m not even sold on Stecher. Needed an upgrade on Ceci, and Holland gets a guy that is barely seen as that. So Knob not playing the non-upgrade I could see.

Sad thing is, Stecher is still a better player than Ceci and should be in the lineup. But due to Ceci being Mr Popular in the room, he gets to play. Him being able to transition the puck cleanly makes him already better than shit Ceci.

 

[TheNumber4]

Sad thing is, Stecher is still a better player than Ceci and should be in the lineup. But due to Ceci being Mr Popular in the room, he gets to play. Him being able to transition the puck cleanly makes him already better than shit Ceci.

Small samples really. It’s worth trying cause Ceci is so bad. But still not an ideal upgrade and not a garanteed Stetcher also doesn’t hurt us.

 

[Little Fury]

You'd have to think this is likely the case.

If he is questioning re-signing when the window opens to sign him, Oilers likely move him for assets to take a run at it without Draisaitl and a year left of McDavid.

Keeping him the best option for the short-term obviously, but losing him and not acquiring assets back will haunt the organization for many many years.

I have no idea why Drai would leave. Where is he going to go that can pay him what he's worth that has a better chance of wining in the short term?

 

[GhostfaceWu]

To be fair Bouchard had a rough game but he has been unbelievably good in these playoffs. He is a high event player and is bound to have a game like this the odd time.

I give him the biggest pass out of all the stars.

His gaffe was inexcusable though imo. Had a man at the half wall all he had to do was ring it around and instead takes the riskiest route to try to make some unneeded high level pass instead and we witnessed the results of that.