There is no shortage of high-end talent in the Western Conference Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Colorado Avalanche. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Mikko Rantanen, Evander Kane, Nazem Kadri, Gabriel Landeskog, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Zach Hyman will all play a role in determining which team represents the West in the Stanley…
The two highest-scoring teams in the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs will meet in the Western Conference Final. The Edmonton Oilers have averaged 4.33 goals/game in their 12 games, while Colorado has scored 4.30 G/GP through 10 games. Bring on the goals. This series should be electric.
The phrase “You need depth scoring” gets tossed out often. On the surface it is truthful, but how important it is depends on the make up of your team. Of course every team would love solid depth scoring, but how realistic is it?
The Edmonton Oilers players had a day off on Friday and then had an optional skate yesterday morning. Today they are expected to have a full skate as they will prepare for their third round matchup against the Colorado Avalanche. The four days between games allowed me to speak with Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft.
Stanley Cup Playoff success is never guaranteed. We’ve witnessed elite teams lose in the first round on numerous occasions. Winning the Stanley Cup is extremely difficult, but even winning two rounds is a challenge. The Edmonton Oilers punched their ticket to the Western Conference Final, for the first time since 2006, with a thrilling 5-4…
Are the Edmonton Oilers simply a better team than the Calgary Flames? They might be according to Flames head coach Darryl Sutter.
The moment Matthew Tkachuk mentioned that “one player” was beating them, and then Rasmus Andersson repeated a similar thought moments later, it illustrated how deeply entrenched Connor McDavid was in the psyche of the Calgary Flames. But it was also fuel for the rest of the Edmonton Oilers. McDavid has been exceptionally brilliant in the…
Winning is all that matters in the playoffs. Many teams have played an average, or below average game, and won, while others have dominated and lost. In the regular season you can worry about trends of a team not playing well, or having a hot (or cold) power play, but in the playoffs, there is…
In 2002, Marshall Bruce Mathers III, aka Eminem, released one of the most iconic rap songs of all time, “Lose Yourself.” The opening stanza was utter brilliance. Look If you had One shot Or one opportunity To seize everything you ever wanted In one moment Would you capture it? Or just let it slip?
A few minutes after a dominating 4-1 win in game three, Mike Smith sat at the podium answering questions about his play, the Milan Lucic hit, the play of Evander Kane, Connor McDavid, and Leon Draisaitl. He answered them all, and when he was asked about enjoying this run, at his age, he mentioned how…
“Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained? Is that not why you are here?” – Maximus Decimus Meridius. It is one of the most memorable lines from the epic film Gladiator. The NHL isn’t life or death, like being a Gladiator in the Roman Empire, but both unfold in highly emotional arenas.
There is only one way to go for the Edmonton Oilers: up. From the opening faceoff, the Oilers were overwhelmed by the Calgary Flames in game one. They allowed two goals in the first 51 seconds, a new Stanley Cup playoff record, they were outshot 48-28 and outscored 9-6. It was a dreadful defensive performance,…
