A WITNESS TO HISTORY
Wanye
January 25 2013 12:09PM
They say there is always a witness to history and last night there was 16,000 and change in attendance and billions more watching on TV that saw history go down. It was one of those times that sort of jump kicks you right in the face with its magnitude and it takes awhile for what you saw to sink in.
HOW AMAZING
The goal itself last night was mind shattering and will be dissected to death by those in the know about these things. But it was the context of the goal that really made it something of absolute legend. The game had been largely brutal until that point - one nill and rather dull. The refs were out to lunch awarding powerplays as though they were getting bonuses for the most obscure calls they could make.
"No one has called a visor instigator penalty in three years!" one ref was heard remarking at a TV time out.
"Betcha I can call one in the next 10 minutes" came the reply.
Then the Nuge goal gets called back. An absolutely embarassing call for all involved and we saw Rexall Place start to come unglued like we can rarely recall. Garbage was raining down, the glass was being shaken back and forth and the loudest chant of "BULLSHIT" we have ever heard rained down too.
It looked like another glum winter night in Edmonton until the youngest* newest** bestest*** Oiler decided to take matters into his own hands and bat that little round devil disk out of the air and right into the twine.
THE LEGEND OF YAK CITY RISES
We have had the good fortune to see some incredible Oilers goals in our day. Pronger scoring off the draw with no time left on the clock. 1,246,429 heart stopping moments during the 06 Cup Run. Jordan Eberle scoring the goal that launched a million SQUEEEEEEEs to name just a few. But with all due respect to the other goals and our dear sweet Jordan, we have NEVER seen a celly like the Yakupov one last night.
There may be some people out there who are freaking out about the celebration but they can all go pound sand. We witnessed Rexall Place connect with an Oiler player on a level we haven't seen since a certain number 14 scored a certain toe draggian dandy on opening night against some forgettable team down Highway 2.
The emotion of the evening, the blown call, the lingering frustration with the lockout. It all melted away as 64 slid blue line to blue line with all of the OilersNation around the world sliding in spirit with him. And at the end of the game there he was on the ice celebrating the win - helicoptering his stick in salute to the fans unlike anything we have ever seen.
You could see the emotion on his face on he sat on the bench and the goal was announced. The combination of his 64 billion dollar grin and the crowd losing its collective mind was something to behold. Here is an honest to goodness superstar in the making on a team now counting a handful of similar super studs. Playing in a City that has wanted nothing more for almost 30 years.
The NHL has built the walls between the fans and the players so high that many fairweather fans have checked out. As a result many buildings in the league will find themselves half full with mildly bored players playing before mostly bored suit types until the emotion comes back - if it ever does.
Contrast that scenario with Yakupov scoring THAT goal in front of THAT crowd here in Edmonton.
A hero was born last night.
FOOTNOTES
You may think we have been smitten by the new Russian Hearthrob and have forgotten who we came to the dance with. May we then present for your consideration this picture of Jordan Eberle with a puppy.
Could 2013 BE any better?
* We think
** Not counting trades
*** Except Eberle and the Nuge naturally
Big props to our dubstep lovin homie dabears on twitter for the Yak City lyrics pic.
If you would like to watch Yakupoving on an infinite loop please click here.
Everything I could say about the game and the 'celly' have already been said, so I'm just going to say that the pic above of Yak sliding over the drop is now my computer desktop wallpaper and will be until I've got a pic of Eberle hoisting Lord Stanley's beloved cup.
Does anyone know if the NHL has said anything about whether the referees decision to disallow the RNH goal was correct or not. I know they said the correct procedure was followed, and I agree that is true. However, I don't think the right decision was made and am wondering if the NHL has the stones to say so publicly. How a goal would be disallowed when the goaltender basically wrapped his own pad around Gagner's leg is something that I would like explained. Maybe Shannahan could do one of those video explanations, like he did for suspensions last year. No wait, those made no sense half the time either.
@freeze
If only it were possible to have DSF understand and follow simple instuctions. He/she only thinks that what him/her has to say is worthwhile while all of us are whiners.
@oldsoldier
Dead on buddy!
Yaks celebration was tied directly into the situation and he in my mind excorcised the Theo Fleury demon that has been at Rexall for over 30 years. Pure emotion and elation is what Yak felt and dammit if anyone says otherwise. Some of these players talk about a certain unwritten code, but I mean come on. A lot of teams resort to cheap diving tactics, the Oilers in my mind have never ever used diving as an in game tactic. I wouldn't mind seeing Yak celebrating that way many more times in his career in that or much larger situations!
so much projection!
a psychologist could run a whole workshop based on the last 15 comments.
That sounds like a fabulous idea!
i still have yet to see a reference to a kyle wellwood cuddle pillow.
for that lack of detail, i can give this post no more than 4 squees out of 5...and a prop
It's the twitterized, basterdized version of celebration.
@DSF
Hudler too? Ouch. I can only hope that having another 2 players in the lineup who haven't played Hartley's systems yet is a plus for the Oilers, but a little part of me thinks there will be a different reason for tears Saturday night.
On paper Calgary looks like a very competitive team, however so did the kings last year, and only really gelled after Sutter came in. I wonder if Calgary has the right coach for this team and if that is going to be a challenge for them this year.
Should be a good game as Edmonton has played some tough opponents (Vancouver, San Jose, LA, the refs) and found ways to overcome (even in the San Jose game they bounced back for the last two). Calgary has traditionally been a tough opponent.
I have been dying to watch Edmonton play a more run and gun style team that doesn't mind trading chances (hello Chicago).
@DSF
It's rare that I agree with you but you are bang on. There needs to be some emotion put back into the game.
ALL HAIL YAKCITY B!TCH!!!
@Will
I've watched both LA and CAL so far this year, and the Flames look pretty good, despite not winning.
@pelhem grenville
Supercellious!
Yak was great. superb goal and great celebration... he was just channeling the fans standing inches from the tv bursting with emotion...
but I can't diss Stoll. That guy is a great player and I wish the Oil never got rid of him. They lost a tight emotional game where they were battling the refs almost as much as we were and right after losing (and the way they did) everything is probably pretty raw. his comments were pretty mild anyway. bygones.
calgary. I wouldn't underestimate any team this year... lots of weird s%&t is going to happen. also Calgary still has the fading framework (Kip and Iggy) and has played better than their scorecards suggest.
It's going to be a great night on sat. I only hope RNH lights it up for HNIC like he did last year.
Hilarious article; loved it! YAK CITY BITCH!
And I will always defend your right to be wrong :)
Yak city bitch!!! Yak yak city bitch!!!
Sorry to raise this now BUT:
What happens now with the missing $100 mill.
The money has to come from the Municipal Sustainability Initiative program. Does this mean less money for transit etc . Does it just mean that the River Valley plan is shelved ?
Does is mean Edmonton can borrow the money ? What are the implications ? Thanks
You mean Marty St. Louis.
He can't celebrate like that anymore, he'd have to sit out the next three shifts after expending all that energy.
Should be a rockin game in Cowtown. Can't wait.
That was awesome.
@Old Soldier
I prop you.
No need to apologize. Amazing post. Couldn't agree more. Mad props Old Soldier.
I think a balance is perfect. Yakupov's celebration was total emotion and I think most people get that.
The showboating is good when it happens on a rare basis because it does inflame opposition fans. However, if it becomes commonplace it degrades the league - it actually takes away the serious connection people have because it becomes a farce.
@Old Soldier
Right on! I agree 100%.
Crosby may be a media robot, but he does do whatever it takes to win - PC or not, nice guy or not - just ask the doctors who surgically repaired Giroux' wrist after last year's playoffs.
http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/sidney-crosby-didn-t-try-break-claude-giroux-203944352--nhl.html
Old Soldier, amazing rant. Love it.
@Old Soldier
Couldn't agree with you more man.
In a society where nobody's willing or encouraged to take responsibility for their own actions or problems, a lot of people lose the ability to recognize true emotion. If there's a problem, someone else can fix it. You made a mistake, it wasn't me it was some other factor that made me do it or caused it.
My grandfather once told me before he died, as bad as it was growing up during WWII and later fighting at the end, he would have rather grown up through it then the world as it is today. There was a sense of unity, pride, respect, honor and responsibility that no longer or rarely exists in our society. Even while dieing from cancer he said he felt sorry for the kids of today.
I think part of what he really was trying to say was that we no longer sit back and just enjoy those little things in life because we never really learned how to.
Yakupov's celebration 'nailed' it! Nothing wrong with having that kind of emotion on the Oiler team & that's what these young guys bring!
Is there going to be a season of Oil Change this year? I can't wait to see the way this game is portrayed.
Yes. I do believe the first episode is on this coming Tuesday. Don't quote me on that though.
Oh there we go NHL head office says they see nothing wrong with last night. And there my friends is the real problem.
Slow clap for this post.
@Old Soldier
Well said sir, props to you and your post.
You NAILED that post Wanye!
@Old Soldier
Hope you were able to see the Glory Days in the mid 80's.
It's unfortunate that some/most players in todays NHL don't carry the same passion/focus you excercised everytime you went to work. It would surely be a better game. The paycheque is much more important than the goal/mission.
Thank you for your lengthy service to our country.
Yes please.
@Old Soldier
http://d22zlbw5ff7yk5.cloudfront.net/images/cm-39669-050ceb2f40ac1c.gif
@Old Soldier
Hear, hear.
@DSF
"Calgary has added both Cervenka and Hudler to their lineup for tomorrow night's game so they should be a tough opponent considering how well they played in Vancouver."
I also heard that Baertschi was being benched. If that's true all I can think is those pansies want to run our kids without having theirs touched. How typical of the Shames.
I doubt that is their motivation.
Baertschi has been struggling.
Although I think you may be right that the kids are in for a tuning up.
I think the kids already had there walk up call with SJ, it's a good thing it came early in the season.
Calgary doesn't have the body's that ether SJ or L.A. has.
I thought the kids and the rest of Oilers really brought there game up VS L.A....they actually pushed back, which is something that had been lost for some time.
@West
Gagner cross checked Doughty just before the goal was scored.
Refs didn't call it.
Stop whining.
@Walter "Wes" Sobchak
There will be far more than one wake up call.
@DSF
It is kind of sad when a team doesn't have a single team member whose talent would be missed if they were taken out by the opposition. Poor, poor Calgary.
@West
Stop whining.
@Time Travelling Sean
You stop whining too.
We'll see.
Stop whining.
@Rob...
Nope.
Stop whining.
@oilerman53
We've dove, just not frequently.
@Old Soldier
Brother I don't even care that you didn't even make it out of Cadet camp, those words are gold!
(I couldn't resist)
*drops smoke grenade and runs diving into the ditch*