dryope
Registered User
- Apr 22, 2025
- 1
- 1
They didn't have Hossa in 2009 and Gonchar was playing injured after OV's cheapshot in round 2. The team wasn't notably playing a run and gun style to suit their star forwards' strengths.
And still love the bitterness about losing in 2009. Are you one those who blames the NHL for starting the SCF too soon?
One depth thing is, that Oilers are lacking the "turns it up two notches in the playoffs" types among their better supporting players (the ones who don't depend solely on catching lightning in a bottle for one postseason). I'd point at Nuge and Nurse here.
When the Pens looked bad, it looked like Malkin, Letang and Staal were trying too hard and throwing idiotic penalty meltdowns. When the Oilers look bad, they look like only Draisaitl is trying at all.
At the end of the day though, everyone had these "OMG defense sucks, goaltending sucks, how are wasting the golden years of two generational players" and "trade Malkin" fits about the Pens reguarly from 2011-15. McDavid will still get it done most likely. Even the Caps did eventually.