I may take some heat for this, but I have to disagree with you about what Carkner did.

Brian Boyle took massive liberties with arguably the Senators best player, Karlsson, in game one when he repeatedly punched Karlsson in the face with his glove on.

Now, it's not like Carkner went after Boyle after Boyle hit Karlsson with a clean hit or anything. And I don't consider what Carkner did to be a Bertuzzi-like sucker-punch either. He skated directly up to Boyle, told him what was coming, then delivered.

I was more offended that the 6'7", 245lb Boyle wouldn't defend himself. He really thought he could speed-bag the Norris candidate who is 7 inches and 65lbs smaller, and not have to answer for it?

To put it in Oilese - let's say the Oil play Vancouver in the playoffs at some point, and Kassian grabs RNH in a scrum after the whistle and starts punching him. Would a Carkner-like response the next game offend anyone here? Probably not.

Luongo trade destination: Tampa

Tampa is desperate for a goalie. Luongo has a no-trade clause, but his wife is from Florida. Seems like the best possible fit.

I love the intensity, the hard hits (the clean ones), but the stick work is driving me crazy. They still call an incidental high stick where the guy gets tapped on the helmet, but don't call all the slashing and cross checking.

I don't want to lose the intensity, but is it truly a case of "You can't have one without the other??"

Blood curdling hockey, thuggonomics on ice. Wow, this is great.

When the canucks sat Luongo, I think they ended their chances of playing him as a no.1 in the future. They also may have greatly limited their trade return for their extra goalie as Lou won't fetch nearly the return of Schneider.

Anyone thinking Sutter is an upgrade over Renney because his world jr. success makes him good with the kids... remember Pat Quinn also had WJC success. Old Pat would be my choice to yell at kids to get off the lawn, not coach hockey.

I love playoff hockey, only time when true hockey is played, can't wait till my beloved Oilers are there year after year

Gregor I have to disagree with your stance on this. I , too, thought the hockey was awesome for the games I could watch (I live in Portland, OR without cable) but I think the cheapshots and head-hunting in the Pens/Flyers game was galling. To disagree with Crosby, that was NOT playoff hockey. I would much rather watch intense back and forth hockey with hard hits then crosschecks to throats, headshots, hairpulling.

I think the reason most people are focusing on "45 seconds" of dumb play, is because in that time, someone's career may end and life possibly altered for a dumb play. I wish the NHL would consistently come down with a heavy hand to serve as a deterrent for stupidity.

I am all for fighting and intensity and hard hits. I am not a fan of headhunting.

When i watch these Playoff games (and Ive only missed 1 or 2) i am consistently reminded of how the Oiler's aren't ready for this.

The Oilers could fit into maybe the Chicago series and/or the Florida series - but any of the other series look to me like they are at a compete level that the Oilers cannot match right now.

As I watched most of the games over the weekend, I couldn't help but think how far the Oilers need to go before they can compete. They have the high-end skill to compete in the future, but unless they drastically increase their size, grit and depth I think they are still a few years away. Maybe it's just because the intensity has been dialed up so much (playoffs v. regular season) that it's an unfair comparison, but I don't see this team being playoff ready.

Apparently Tencer, Millhouse,thinks we're not that far off. All we need to do is be a bit more competitive in the third period and BOOM - playoffs!

Of course, at the level of play we're used to exerting, that would be folowed by BOOM - out in four straight blowout losses!

To be fair, didnt Tencer comment on what is needed to Achieve a playoff position?

I think Gregor is commenting on how poorly the Oilers would do once they got into the playoffs.

A trade here or there, another year exp for the young lads and a little extra Kick/compete COULD see us into the Playoffs. We probably wouldn't last past the 1st round though.

Loved the games so far, that is hockey.

To top it off LA is 1 win away from shutting the mouths of the most annoying hockey fans out there. Brown with the biggest hit of the playoffs so far, and it was clean as could be.

Brown has potted several goals too now hasn't he? Didnt he get 2 2 games ago and 1 last night? Either way, Brown has been in the thick of things the entire series!

He's really standing out.

@ A-Mc > True. I was watching the Pens/Philly game the other night and mentally trying to calculate how badly we'd get our butts kicked playing either of those teams at that level. My mind couldn't come up with anything smaller than a double-digit blowout. Holy crap those guys were playing hard. An unusual brand of hockey for us Oilers fans.

We have lots of skill in top six next year (if we take Yakupov) 4 top six guys that are lights out but we would get killed if the playoffs are going to be like this again. Now remember this is the first year in what 10 that theres been fights and all out slubber knocker hits like we have seen this year. My bet next year the playoffs are intense just not this intense, and maybe the refs will have a meeting and call the games like they do in october

hey gregor

It was fine for Boyle to rabbit punch Karlsson but when somebody tough came along he turtles. he got exactly what he deserved and should have been suspended for his emabarrassing tactics against Karlsson. Ottawa stands up for their guys and wins the game. KARMA!! Oilers in that situation would have said we will beat them with a powerplay and team toughness! NOT!!!

Let's keep Renney. The kids like him and play hard for him. He did well with what he had, go the special teams going, and he is a good teacher.

Also, Gregor can now diagnose concussions just by watching them on the tv. He should transfer over to the Royal Alec stat.

I have been watching Matt Carle on philly, and he is playing alot of minutes, he seems to have played very well. What do you guys think about him and how good of a fit do you think he would be on our d-core?

That is the difference between the two. Gregor actually understands game and gives an honest opinion. The other guy is a homer.

@gregor

I don't think I said life ending. I said career ending and life altering.

I get what you are saying totally, I understand the leap that I am making too.

To support my reasoning, I offer up Steve Moore, Marc Savard, Keith Primeau, Eric Lindros.

I know that there is an acceptable risk argument that could be made too, but, I think these are also avidable risks without ruining the game. I would like to hear Jason Strudwick's opinion on acceptable risk...

While it was only 45 seconds of a lot of minutes the real problem for me is that some of this stuff doesn't need to happen. The refs seem to let far too much of the after whistle crap go and eventually things will erupt.

The consistency just isn't there.

But yes as a whole this past weekend was a lot of excellent hockey to watch.

I enjoyed the weekend. Lots of great stuff, lots of passion, some misdirected (vancouver fans)

The LA Kings twitter feed! First one.... kinda borderline.... second one..... pure gold!

AV putting LaPierre on the ice mystifies me, the guy is a complete POS and offers zero positive value to the team... the kids a complete moron.

The devils series and the boston series are painful. The ice at the Staples centre...... seriously? Thats simply embarrassing.

Fleury? Wow!! Holtby!!! WOW.

The sincere ginger messiah didn't steal one for the Canucks, kinda too bad for him. Seems a decent kid.

the "you can't beat us chant" by the Philly fans........ GOLD!

Darryl Sutters "system" with good players...... scary. Quick didn't have to be great, unlike Kipper who had to stand on his head every night in 04.

Crosby...... wow... pathetic.

Hughson and Simpson....... absolutely awful. Were they this brutal last year? I can't recall.

Isn't what Carkner did to Boyle what a lot of Oiler fans have wanted Eager or Hordichuk to do when someone roughs up one of our stars? Sure Carkner took it too far, he really should have stopped once Boyle was on the ice but Karlsson is the Sens best player and obviously Ottawa wanted to send a message.

I think the Canucks may be able to move Luongo as there are a number of teams that are desperate for goaltending right now so I wouldn't rule it out. They just won't get much of anything in return. How much better would Pitsburgh be with Luongo instead of Fleury right now? Not that I think there is any chance he'll end up there but how about Tampa?

I agree with Hughson and Simpson, saying the league should look at the Brown hit.

Like is it me or is he just finishing his check? Sedin had the puck and half a second later he got clocked.

And Quick made 41 saves, so he kinda had to be great.

The Brown hit was textbook clean as verified by Sedin himself. Props to henrik for coming back and actually playing half decent and willful hockey..... unlike many on his team.

Quick was solid but I never felt he was in danger of letting one in, maybe when burrows and sedin were hammering away at the post. I guess degree of difficulty is subjective and given that he made all the saves Im assuming a lot. Plus the Dane did beat him clean and rang it off the post so luck is/was a factor. By my eye, half of those shots were Ethan Moreau specials, off the wing, dead in the crest..LOL.

Some of these comments are just plain strange. I find that oilers nation has taken a very negative turn and evrything seems to get blown out of proportion.

No I am not saying this team doesn't need serious upgrades to truly contend but they are not the worst team of all time as some posters on here liken them to.

To say the Oil would get blown out by double digits by any of these playoff teams is laughable. Our guys would raise their game for the playoffs just like everyone else is doing...it's not like LA were world beaters going into the playoffs but they seem to have hit their stride. Same with Philly (well tought o say how great they are actually playing considering MAF)

There is no telling how our guys would react in the playoffs because a lot of them have yet to experience it. But I am thinking some of them have another level. Size and grit is great but it is not everything. Wasn't that the justification Vancouver gave for the Kassian trade? Should they not be just sticking it to the Kings no with all the extra toughness they added at the expense of skill?

Like I say they are a couple players short of being a playoff contender but withe right moves in the off season they should have a shot at contending for a playoff spot. And from there as you can see...anything can happen.

So stop with the moping, get excited for your team and stop whining. We had a bad year, we will get better and I for one will be cheering for the playoffs from game one next year.

Please! Are you kidding me?? The Brown hit was a beauty, dirty my ass. Just because its a Canuck that got absolutaly destroyed its a dirty hit. Sedin tried to sell it didnt work. Hughson and Simpson are idiots. Brown plays hard not dirty like Hartnel, Burrows, Ashem, Carkner.

Playoff hockey is the real hockey.No human can play a whole 84 game schedule then the playoffs with such intensity.

Luongo should be untradeable but there is a sucker born ever minute.

On a final note it is refressing hearing very little form the oh hockey is too rough crowd.

It is hockey if it is too rough for you try woman's hockey or ringette.

I think Loungo's deal will make Horcoff's deal look like a bargain once it's done (I know, I know get over the money. I'll get over the money when the Oilers make the playoffs!). Just can't see any team wanting to take that term on, it would essentially have to be salary dump. The trading team would have to be desperate for goaltending and have a salary they can pass back to Vancouver that they need rid off. Maybe to Columbus for RJ Umberger? If I'm Vancouver I'd do that in a heart beat.

Can anyone tell me what the GM of Vancouver was thinking trading Hodgson for Kassian? The team doesn't play tough, and Kassian was essentially useless out there last night.

Agree that AV gets the axe after this, which probably means MacT gets another shot at the big leagues. It'll be weird seeing Craig behind the bench of the Canucks, but I'm guessing it will happen considering how well he's done with the team in the AHL this season.

The first goal of the series was Kesler cheating by interfering with Quick. That's why Vancouver will never win, instead of playing tough and hard they would rather cheat.

I don't think Sedin was trying to sell it, I think he got the wind knocked the f out of him.

I saw the Shaw hit on Smith several times on replay (as I am sure everyone else did). It looked like, even though Shaw sort of tried to avoid Smith, he led with his shoulder into Smith's head. If you were seriously trying to avoid someone like that, you would have tried to pull that shoulder in to twist by him. I'm thinking it hurt Smith more than it concussed him.

I agree Oildawg99, it's weird that we have no confidence in our team. I think most of our entire team has the ability to raise it up a notch or two, and I'm confident that once we fix our roster holes we'll make it to the playoffs and be competitive.

First rounds are always the best! Everyone is relatively undamaged and can give er. Gotta luv the first round upsets...they always happen.

How would the Oilers fare in the playoffs?

1. Several talking heads marvelled at the speed of the Philly kids and how is was making the difference. You can't hit what you can't catch. We are looking good in that department.

2. Playoff success can be defined by the quality of your goaltending. (another talking head quote) Ask the Pens. In 06 and 11 Rollie took average teams a long way by standing on his head. Ya gotta have it. I don't think we are there yet and a berth in the final 4 depends on it. Of course you need to make it to the top 8 in the conference first.

One thing I'd like to point out about the Canucks that I still find epicly funny to this day, do you remember last season after the Nashville series how all the Vancouver fans and commentators were comparing Kesler to Messier!

Baahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahha

"I'm a fan of fights, I think they have their place in the game, but I'm not a fan of this type of fighting. I don't have a problem with him being suspended and if he got two or three games I would have be fine with it as well."

I am a fan of those fights. If a guy wants to be a cheap piece of crap then someone needs to send a message by sending that person to the hospital and drinking steak through a straw for a few months. Show no mercy. Poor Brian Boyle? Screw him he started it.

I am a die hard Oiler fan, and there is no way on earth they are even close to the play offs especially against the Flyers or Pens. Now about that series, I love the battles, speed, high scoring and fighting. What I don't love is Sidney Crosby. He is a dirty sneaky player. I can not believe that this "Captain" would allow his teammates take penalties and game misconducts, for his actions. He blatantly instigates and his teammates fight his battles. Listening to his comments after the game, indicated to me that he is a poor sport and spoiled self-entitled little brat. Lots of players giving post game comments (when the game didn't go their way), accept the outcome and realize how their next game needs to be better and areas of weakness that needs improvement. This face of the franchise needs to be ashamed of himself. Nobody likes losing, but for this guy to be a role model and an inspiration to thousands of young hockey players, he showed his true colours on and off the ice Sunday.

I agree. Smith certainly ducked his head just prior to the hit, but Shaw could have taken a wider path behind the net to avoid the head shot. Smith pissed me off earlier in the game drawing the BS interference penalty, but he didn't do anything to cause the Shaw hit

I think what people dont see is how this guy is targeted every shift he steps on the ice. What people dont see are the hacks, slashes, face washes, and elbows he endures. He is doing what any captain would do in a situation where you are down 3-0 in the series, and thats standing up for yourself, and showing your team there is some fight left. If the Edmonton Oilers shows 1/100th of the fight Sidney does we wouldnt be finishing 29th.

Totally agree and that was my point. What Boyle did was embarassing (rabbit punching karlsson) and then turtling the next game was sad as well. Ottawa and Carkner had no choice but to go after him. The oilers on the other hand would have done nothing except glue their limited toughness to the bench and made them pay supposedly on the PP. lol

remember Smith diving when eager skated by him in edmonton earlier this year. I think he is becoming quite a diver and you reap what you sew. People will scrutinize every play and I think Smith was diving again against Shaw more than anything else. It was quite a nice kesler he performed behind the net.

Gregor, you brought up an interesting point but did not elaborate? Jus how would the Oilers fare in the playoffs?

Based on what we are seeing, the playoff intensity is fever high.......and the tough are getting tougher. My thoughts on what we need has never changed, that being equal elements of skill and toughness. I think we have the skill part down pat at least offensively, but weak teams will not succeed.

You can make an argument for speed that being you can't hit what you can't catch however people who make this argument, have never played hockey. It is fairly easy to hit fast players, as long as your timing is good. Just look at how many times Hall has been rocked. Now imagine Eberle, RNH, and Yakapov, being roughed up through an entire series and nothing positive could come of this. Even the high skilled Olers of the Gretzky era were surrounded by toughness, ( Semenko, Mcsorley, Mclleand, and big defensemen like Gregg, Jackson) in bothe offense and defense.

If we do not surround our skill with size and toughness, we will pay the price. The small guys play bigger when they know someone on the ice ( not on the bench) is watching out for them.

Just ask Gretzky .........he has been very clear on this issue and never changed his tune. We need playing toughness, not Hordichuck and Eager sitting on the bench watching the action.

I'll touch on a few things here. I a huge fan of big heavy hits but I did have a problem with the hit on Sedin. First he see numbers the whole time he lining him up, second he starting lining him up from the opposite blue line, third when he does hit him he gets him right in the jaw. To me this is similar to a blindside hit that an opponent can't protect himself from. And I hate Van just to set the record straight. If he had hit him just as hard with a straight shoulder to the chest without contacting the chin I would be giving him high fives all day long.

I thought the games over the weekend were outstanding, best hockey I have seen in a long time and I think they are better than the Van/CHI series last year. Love that kind of hockey. Other than the above hit and the Asham stick to the throat and punch to the back of the head I like the rest.

This weekend also showed how very far away the Oilers are from being able to compete in the playoffs. The team is a minimum 6 players and a goaltender away. If the oilers had to play against the flyers in the playoffs all three of the kids would be seriously injured right now, I have no doubt in my mind.

With regards to the Oilers' size and the playoffs, I think they have some players developing who can lend them that size, and when you look at the size of a lot of those Philadelphia players, it isn't huge.

Briere is half the size of Joe Thornton, but who has more fight to his game?

Besides, each year the playoff template seems to change. This year may be one that has some similarities to the Ducks of 2007, but after that season Detroit and Pittsburg won the cup using a different style of play. The Oilers certainly need to add some "truculence" to the roster, but there is a chance that players like Bigos, Marincin, and, hopefully, Henrik Samuelsson at the draft this year.

As for Sutter replacing Renney, I don't understand the argument of Brent Sutter being an upgrade over the teacher Renney. In my opinion Renney still has at least one more season of hockey lessons to pass along to this young group. He may not be here when they finally start to win, which is a shame, but he has a role to play still. I could see the Oilers giving him a two-year deal and then perhaps moving him to another area of the organization in the second year or having Todd Nelson become his associate coach in year two. But no more Sutters, please.

I likes Hockey!

Henrik Sedin - So watching this guy play without his brother in the last three games reminds me so much of Omark. All kinds of moves and really strong on the puck but nothing really happens. So all Linus really needs is a twin. C'mon ST get on this.

I love Boyle, huge (6'7", 250 lbs), tough, hits a lot (236, 52% on the dot, avg 2 min short handed ice time a game) and actually had decent hands for a big guy, 21 goals last year and 11 this year shooting 6.7%. I see him as an 18 goal guy.

I would even look at him as a 2nd line centre with Hall and Hemmer and have Horc play 3rd line. This gives us size we need.

Add Clowe or Stewart to play with Nuge and Ebs and all of a sudden we have a bigger, harder hitting team and would have a better chance at playoff success.

Best hit of the weekend bar none was watching the Nuckleheads go down 3 games to none & still standing at center ice whining they still had 1.2 seconds left! Too funny I could barely go to sleep after watching that!