GDT: Game 73: Vegas Golden Knights @ Edmonton Oilers | 7:00PM | First game of the Home and Home

[hangman005]

We call it a home and home, but really it's a home and away and it lets me post this...



Also everyone is injured and all hope is lost. ​

Click to read more...

 

[The Duck Knight]

Really need to win 1 of these 2 against Edmonton to keep them behind us in the standings. If we drop both in regulation the 3 seed is a very realistic possibility.

 

[IceNeophyte]

Martinez out tonight, my wife tells me, peronnal reasons. Mark this one as an L.

 

[hangman005]

Martinez out tonight, my wife tells me, peronnal reasons. Mark this one as an L.

Yep that why I bet on all my fake money on the Oilers

 

[Nevada Jones]

Go! Go!

 

[Vegan Knight]

Really need to win 1 of these 2 against Edmonton to keep them behind us in the standings. If we drop both in regulation the 3 seed is a very realistic possibility.

We would still be a game ahead of Edmonton even if we lose both. Could even leapfrog the Kings again by beating them and matching their other results.

I don't think the difference between second/third is a big difference, slipping from first to second is the big slip. Your point still stands, of course, we need at least two points from these games AND to beat LA to give ourselves the breathing room needed for the rest of the schedule.

I'd rather avoid having to play Edmonton and then LA. Getting Seattle/Winnipeg would probably be better but Hellebuyck and VGK's patented playoff scoring slump for even as few as two games could make a Jets series a big headache real quick.

The playoffs this year are really setting up to be pretty cool, with legitimately interesting series that pretty much all could go either way, no matter what happens. I could see a not ridiculous case for 13 of the 16 likely playoff teams making a run to the SCF.

 

[The Duck Knight]

We would still be a game ahead of Edmonton even if we lose both. Could even leapfrog the Kings again by beating them and matching their other results.

I don't think the difference between second/third is a big difference, slipping from first to second is the big slip. Your point still stands, of course, we need at least two points from these games AND to beat LA to give ourselves the breathing room needed for the rest of the schedule.

I'd rather avoid having to play Edmonton and then LA. Getting Seattle/Winnipeg would probably be better but Hellebuyck and VGK's patented playoff scoring slump for even as few as two games could make a Jets series a big headache real quick.

The playoffs this year are really setting up to be pretty cool, with legitimately interesting series that pretty much all could go either way, no matter what happens. I could see a not ridiculous case for 13 of the 16 likely playoff teams making a run to the SCF.

I don't agree that 2nd to 3rd isn't a big deal at all. Home ice is critical for matchups, even more so if we don't have Stone and especially against Edmonton. 4 games of constant Stephenson-Roy-Kessel Hague-Whitecloud matchups against the McDavid line is not a recipe for success.

Also totally disagree about the quality of the wild cards. Seattle is going to be a cakewalk. Swiss cheese goaltending and no offensive game breakers. Winnipeg's only chance is Hellebuyck stealing a series. That team has played lifeless hockey for over a month with a playoff spot on the line.

Getting 1st is huge because then we only have to go through one of LA and EDM instead of both.

 

[Vegan Knight]

I don't agree that 2nd to 3rd isn't a big deal at all. Home ice is critical for matchups, even more so if we don't have Stone and especially against Edmonton. 4 games of constant Stephenson-Roy-Kessel Hague-Whitecloud matchups against the McDavid line is not a recipe for success.

Also totally disagree about the quality of the wild cards. Seattle is going to be a cakewalk. Swiss cheese goaltending and no offensive game breakers. Winnipeg's only chance is Hellebuyck stealing a series. That team has played lifeless hockey for over a month with a playoff spot on the line.

Getting 1st is huge because then we only have to go through one of LA and EDM instead of both.

We've gone 23-7-5 on the road and 22-14-1 at home, I understand matchups can matter but I don't see it being as big a make or break for us, falling out of first to either spot will be the big dent in our hopes, I believe.

I agreed about the wildcard teams being the preference, but I've seen almost this exact same group of guys have trouble scoring for extended runs in the playoffs, I've seen them underperform against teams they should beat (sometimes still advancing but making it closer than it should have been) and I've seen their performance dip in the later games of series. And that's happened on multiple occasions, so Hellebuyck and a more veteran Winnipeg team with playoff experience and a coach whose beat us before does make me think they wouldn't be an easy out for us, despite their struggles over the past month.

I don't want to treat Seattle like a lot of people did to us during our inaugural run, but I do also see that being something like an easier five game series win for us for the reasons you mentioned.

 

[Vegan Knight]

Eichel gets a goal.

Dorofeyev-Karlsson-Amadio as a second, or third, line. Oh boy, hopefully they can hold up.

 

[Haguerbomb]

Scorefeyev! A pp goal!!!

 

[Vegan Knight]

They really may have lucked into something good with Dorofeyev.

 

[hangman005]

MARCHY!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Vegan Knight]

Theodore hasn't had his best game tonight.

 

[hangman005]

One point down, one to go.

 

[hangman005]

ROY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Vegan Knight]

Let's go Roy!

 

[hangman005]

 

[azvgk]

Eichel wanted to show McDavid/Dreisaitl he's a superstar too.

 

[IceNeophyte]

Martinez out tonight, my wife tells me, peronnal reasons. Mark this one as an L.

Happy to be wrong, barely. Stephenson is good at face off, but he has no biz out there 3v3. You dont dump it in on 3v3

 

[theslatcher]