WCF opponent preference

[Little Fury]

Simple question. Me, I choose the Avs because I think the Oilers match up better and it will make for some great hockey. But i'm happy if the Avs/Blues goes a hard 7.

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[Mav3rick07]

Blues. They seem beatable. Similar to Calgary.

The Avalanche's speed and blue line concerns me. Plus, Kuemper is better than Husso.

 

[Rengorlex]

I'm concerned what the Avs offense would do to our D and Mike Smith. Both are difficult match ups though.

 

[TameYew]

I was watching the Blues / Avs game 5 highlights. I was thinking how little contact is actually made between players. The Oilers are going to think they have tons of room out there with either team compared to the way LA and Flames played the Oilers.

 

[syz]

I think the best case scenario is Blues but Binnington doesn't come back and go on another playoff heater. My guess is that an Avs series would be similar to the Flames series but against a team that's at least a bit better in every department compared to Calgary (though likely a lot better offensively, thanks both to more forward depth and their defense's ability to contribute.) I'm not sold on their defense (defensively, at least) or goaltending, but they could still be enough of an improvement over Markstrom and company to effect someone like Hyman or RNH a bit more.

 

[oXo Cube]

I don't think St. Louis is as good defensively as their reputation would suggest and I also think Husso is questionable in goal. On the other hand, the Avs are clearly more top heavy which lets us mask our depth issues better and could probably be tricked into trying to play pond hockey against McDavid, at least sometimes.

In any case I think we're underdogs against both but could definitely beat either so I picked Colorado for the entertainment factor.

 

[Shad5150]

Think Colorado is all wrong for the Oil. Would be a fun series, but I'd prefer not to see Kadri hanging all over McDavid and something happening 'accidentally on purpose" to him.
No matter who wins, I do hope it goes seven games though, lotsa OT too.

 

[ManofSteel55]

I'm torn. The Avalanche look and feel like a team destined to win this year to me, but St. Louis is a former cup champion, with a similar roster, so they're certainly no slouch either. So I don't really care, we can beat either if we play the right type of game. I just really don't want Tampa Bay in the final.

 

[North Cole]

Dont have one at all. This team is a Wagon, if we can limit the number of times we have to erase 2 goal deficits, we can beat anyone. Kuemper has historically been good against us but I want to attribute some of that to the ARI curse, for some reason we are dogshit against that team just like MIN.

Neither goalie is playing well, so the fact that the everyone has anointed us DOA after the BOA is a bit puzzling. Got absolutely no credit for putting CGY off their game, the narrative is just that they didn't show up, nothing about us actually playing against them. Some COL fans have recognized they might have an issue with their goal tending against McDrai.

Can we have a poll option for neither/No preference?
Edit - thank you boss @Bryanbryoil

 

[Bryanbryoil]

I just added an it doesn't matter option.

 

[LTIR]

Picked COL.. I don't think their defense is all that good.
Edit: Switched to it don't matter

 

[FlameChampion]

Don’t think it matters to be honest.

Think I would rather play Colorado. Good test for the boys. Both exciting teams.

 

[CrazyJoeDavola]

I don't want to see JP or Kass defending up top against Makar in our own zone

 

[voxel]

Avs for entertainment purposes (7-5 games) but Blues if we want to reach the SCF. I think we could take the Blues in 7 whereas the Avs could be blowouts (either way... but mostly for them). The speedy rovering D scare me.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

I think that from a pure entertainment aspect that Colorado would be a more entertaining series and IMO we matched up with them well in the regular season. That said I say whoever earns the right to face us will and that we will be ready for them.

 

[Dynamic]

Blues. They are more balanced but we have the top end advantage.

Don’t want our guys to deal the the altitude in Denver which is a clear advantage to the Avs. Makar also scare the crap outta me, I have never seen a D man like him before.

Either way we are clear underdogs.

 

[Aerchon]

Husso is very good and could play at a level better than any remaining goalie in the West but he isn't playoff Bingington level. The blues are a great team but without Bing they are the more "beatable" team in theory.

That said both teams are still technically superior to Edmonton but Edmonton playing well is a difficult opponent themselves. So it doesn't really matter. As scarey as Colorado is I think Carolina and TB are scarier and if the Rangers manage to win say hello to a superstar almost impossible to beat goalie in Shesterkin (sp?).

The challenge of each round of these playoffs are exponential. Oilers will need to improve to move on and if a cup is even a possibility they need to be pushed to be better no matter which team they face in round 3.

 

[elmeroil]

Doesn't matter, playing hockey in June!

 

[North Cole]

Husso is very good and could play at a level better than any remaining goalie in the West but he isn't playoff Bingington level. The blues are a great team but without Bing they are the more "beatable" team in theory.

That said both teams are still technically superior to Edmonton but Edmonton playing well is a difficult opponent themselves. So it doesn't really matter. As scarey as Colorado is I think Carolina and TB are scarier and if the Rangers manage to win say hello to a superstar almost impossible to beat goalie in Shesterkin (sp?).

The challenge of each round of these playoffs are exponential. Oilers will need to improve to move on and if a cup is even a possibility they need to be pushed to be better no matter which team they face in round 3.

Edit- Sorry for the length. TLDR is we can beat anyone.

Biggest thing to improve is our clearances, LA clowned us hard on broken plays in our D zone and CGY did so to a lesser extent. The key is getting the puck out on the first try, once we fail at that we go into a legit fire drill and it gets all bad in a hurry because Smith can't reliably bail you out on anything down low (plays too deep in his net). Kind of the opposite issue of Koskinen who's 40% to save anything above the hashmarks.

Really thought CGY would figure out that the key to beating Smith is getting the puck behind the net, they destroyed him in G1 doing that and last night Johnny scored five hole from another play from there. He plays so deep in his net that any play from below the goal line out, gives the shooter 50% more angles to score from. Instead they wanted to play full barn burner with us, which is basically a losing recipe for 99% of teams in this league. The only team that can realistically stay with us in an all out back and forth is COL because of Makar, but even then it's hit or miss and Kuemper is shaky AF.

Blues are extremely overrated defensively and that was before injuries to the blue line in the playoffs. Lots of stink was made about their NHL record 5+ goal games in a row, no one seemed to notice they were barely winning games scoring like that. Key to that series is they have no superstar. It breaks down like EDM top 6 > STL top 6. EDM Bot 6 < STL Bot 6. Just have to make sure the first arrow is much bigger than the second and we win. Right now it is.

The Rangers are a very slow team, we would eat them alive were we to face them IMO. Team that worries me the most is CAR because they just give up no shots a game and I'm not sure we can get them to open up like we could with CGY. They are basically a rich man's DAL...Frustrating suffocation hockey. Plus side is that CAR can't win on the road so just need to win 1 road game ourselves . Rematch of 06 would be cool now that we don't have MAB and they don't have CS Ward. The team is beatable if you can get to the net on them because their goalies are a product of that system more than anything else (much easier said than done lmao).

IMO the only scary goalie left is Vasy, but that TB is a step down from previous years. I wouldn't put too much stock into what happened with FLA, they play TB like we play MIN. I actually have a lot of confidence to go all the way because this team seems to be exploiting other teams weaknesses with the new coaching staff, never happened before. It's like we lose a game and then the next game we come back and destroy them because of 1 or 2 things. LA and CGY forechecks are a good example, game 1 of both series we couldnt get out of our zone and make a pass, game 2, cut through it like butter...

 

[wtli1988]

How do they seed the teams? If we play the Blues do we get home ice?

 

[FlameChampion]

Would St. Louis have home ice advantage?

Does it go by points? Or is P2 higher than C3?

 

[nexttothemoon]

Avs were my pick for the Stanley Cup when the season started... and I think they are head and shoulders the best team in the NHL... so I'd take the Blues over having to face the Avs.

Who knows though... sometimes a certain team is just a better matchup and that is even more true in the playoffs.

Both the Blues and Avs would be tough opponents and it's going to take a great effort by the Oilers to get past them.. but I certainly think they can do it if they work their asses off and play like they can play... if the Oilers play at their best... they can beat any team in this league.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

I prefer the blues. Avs are clearly the better team in this series.

 

[jesusbuiltmyhotrod]

Don't care, have to beat the best to be the best.

 

[CornKicker]

A wise man sir Dwayne rock johnson once said "IT DOESNT MATTER!!!!"