Welcome back, friends. A whole week without Playoff hockey was torture, but at least we will see more of it. The Edmonton Oilers go from playing against a team that had more success with a defensive system, to now playing against a team fairly similar to them in terms of playing style. There is a lot of skill to be displayed on the ice in this series.
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And with that skill, how will each team pan out with powerplay chances? The Los Angeles Kings were the second-best penalty-killing team in the regular season, and Edmonton’s offense was still too much for them to handle. Technically, only one goal counted as a PP goal for Edmonton in Game 5 of Round 1. But that’s because goals were scored after their times with the man advantage expired before they put pucks in the net. One thing to also take away from Game 5 was the embellishment call on Kevin Fiala. The Kings were already on a PP of their own when it was called. Fiala got tripped, and it could’ve been a 5v3 for Los Angeles. But it was his history with diving on plays that the referees looked to in that instance. You’d have to wonder that if L.A. really did get that two man advantage, it may’ve led to a different final score outcome. Maybe the Kings win that game, stay alive in the series, and try to stage a comeback. The Stanley Cup Playoffs are funny that way, with lots of “What if” moments and so much unpredictability.
How this series starts for Edmonton should be kept in mind. In the East, the Panthers won a 4-1 series, then got blown out in their Round 2 opening game against the Bruins, who were coming off a Game 7 Overtime win. In the other Western second-round match-up, the Avalanche came back from a 4-1 series, while the Stars ground out a 7-game series. Boston looked more energized, while Florida looked like rust got the better of them. Colorado started rusty against Dallas in their Game 1, but then forced OT and staged a come-from-behind win. With the Oilers having a short opening round themselves, examine how they start their Game 1 tonight. Will they benefit from rest or fall prey to rust?
Whichever team comes out on top in this series, the NHL is guaranteed one Canadian team in the Final Four this postseason. But whatever the outcome is, please be nice to each other. Social media is getting way too intense and toxic among both of these fanbases. Yes, we are passionate. Yes, it’s my job to write about the games. But it is still just a game at the end of the day. Friendly chirping is mutual, but no name-calling, swearing, or bullying. The keys to the series are…
Their Pain, Our Gain?: Canucks goaltender and Vezina trophy nominee Thatcher Demko played in Game 1 against Nashville, then missed the rest of that series with an injury. Their backup goalie, Casey DeSmith, took over, and then he got injured, too. Frank Seravalli reported that Demko won’t be available for Games 1 through 4 and that Game 5 might be pushing it. I think DeSmith is much closer to coming back, but I don’t have every detail on him. Give full credit to 23-year-old goalie prospect Arturs Silovs for stepping in at a weird time and helping his franchise secure a series win. And that’s why the Oilers still shouldn’t take this series lightly. If Vancouver was still able to win the first round without Demko, anything is possible here. Edmonton’s offense needs to give Silovs all they’ve got. And when the injured goalies do come back to play, they need to test their recoveries with scoring chances galore.
Bottom 6 Offense: During a post-game presser, Derek Ryan pointed out that 3rd and 4th line forwards contribute to team success mildly without always having their names on the scoresheet. They’ll draw a penalty, and Edmonton’s top players will score with that PP, but the player who drew the penalty isn’t talked about. This is very true, and I brought that up in one or two previous articles. But at the same time, you’re not always going to get as many PPs in the Playoffs as you would in the regular season. So then it does become more important for those bottom 6 forwards to get an odd goal or two once in a while. That’s not just a key for this series, it’ll be like that for as far in this postseason as the Oilers keep going. Players who are slotted in Edmonton’s bottom 6 scored just 3 goals combined in Round 1. Two of them came from one player in Game 2, and one of them was an empty netter in Game 1. The little things are great and absolutely essential. But you still win with goals, especially with Adam Henrique now reportedly dealing with an injury of his own and perhaps not being available for Game 1 of this series. But even he didn’t produce much offensively either, while being on the top line.
Different Times: The Canucks won all four of their regular season games against the Oilers, and two of those games were blowouts. That wouldn’t sound promising to the team that got swept heading into this series. But three of Edmonton’s losses to Vancouver were also at a time when they forgot how to play hockey and before they turned their season around. Things can change once the Playoffs start, and what you did in the regular season no longer matters. These are two really good teams with a lot of great players. This should be at least a 6 game series at best. Don’t expect an easy 4 or 5 game outing like we got in Round 1.
ITR 31: Let Them Fight – Inside The Rink
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