Post-Game Talk: Smiling Stu Shutouts x 2!

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I honestly think the Wild would have given us more of a series. Not that one would want either because both Vegas and the Wild are dirty clubs. Difference being as well is that on the Wild the players you expect to, they were bringing it and cashing like Kaprisov.

Want me to do a rundown on the entire Vegas Core scoring wise? Its bleak, its real bleak.

Like I joked earlier their coach, Cassidy asked them if they want a 2nd SC. They all answered no. lol

I really don't think so. The Wild as a team are just a free pass to round 2 and that's not going to change anytime soon. The instant that Hartman goal late in game 5 was waived off was the instant they lost the series. Kaprizov is a whale of a talent but after that.... what do they have?

If we faced them either in round 1 or 2 the series is done in 5. The Wild remind me of about half the teams in the NBA that exist and never accomplish anything. Something akin to the Pelicans or the Wizards or thereabouts. A team that can maybe make the playoffs and never make an impact on them.

 

[94 Oil Drops]

We were a couple blinks away from sweeping Vegas. Skinner has really gotten the job done these past couple games. Back to back shutouts in the playoffs is a rare feat. Leafs fans have got to be squealing knowing that Kap won the series for with us as they are watching their team crater.

I'm done doubting this team. Dallas is a monster but so are we. If Ekholm comes back we'll really be cooking and we have a massive chance of finally winning the cup!

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Wild could've and should've beat them...a lucky offside call saved Vegas in Game 5 and a couple of OT wins

You're probably right but a better team finds a way. No different than the likes of the Leafs who just can't recover from anything.

 

[WaitingForUser]

This edition of the Oilers is a straight zombie. You can shoot them in the chest 30 times and they'll still get back up.

Unshakable belief mixed with rock solid depth and elite top end game breaking talent.

This group, particularly given that hockey is a grueling 7 game series, has got to be one of the hardest outs I can ever really recall in sports.

As much as it seemed to be destiny last year, this year feels really special I wasn’t old enough to catch the 84 cup but from what I can tell this is McDrais Islanders moment.

 

[MessierThanThou]

I really don't think so. The Wild as a team are just a free pass to round 2 and that's not going to change anytime soon. The instant that Hartman goal late in game 5 was waived off was the instant they lost the series. Kaprizov is a whale of a talent but after that.... what do they have?

If we faced them either in round 1 or 2 the series is done in 5. The Wild remind me of about half the teams in the NBA that exist and never accomplish anything. Something akin to the Pelicans or the Wizards or thereabouts. A team that can maybe make the playoffs and never make an impact on them.

Minny will have a ton of cap space opening up this Summer and can make some major roster adds. I think they'll be scary for a while. Kaprizov finished right behind MacKinnon in points-per-game this season, and their team, when healthy, was dominant. The fact that they still made the playoffs with all of the injuries they had throughout the season is quite impressive. I guess we'll see how next season plays out.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

I like Jack's call better, but this is always great to have a listen to again.

 

[PULSATING]

1993 man. You can look up the zeitgeist. It was a particular time of foment directed at Alberta. We hadn't expected it either. I would never visit Quebec or Ottawa again which is a shame. I like Quebec. I'll never like Ottawa again. You think our experience was unique. I'll say one word. Truckers.

We made he mistake of visiting during an election when tensions were extremely high. Around the time Chretien was strangling a protester.

I thought it would be interesting to travel the country at that specific time. I was naïve.

its not about idiots. Its people saying not welcome. Something is broken. Thats what its about.

I’m empathetic to the feeling of alienation but this is sucha funny post in a hockey forum right after the team moves to the WCF.

This is a DOG days of summer post if I’ve ever seen one LOL.

 

[K1984]

Yeah like we’ve lost 3 games so far and 2 were absolute miracles in the last 30 seconds. That’s what it’s taken to beat us. Game 2 vs LA is the only game we’ve been cleanly beat.

Exactly. Both other losses were pure self inflicted wounds.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Minny will have a ton of cap space opening up this Summer and can make some major roster adds. I think they'll be scary for a while. Kaprizov finished right behind MacKinnon in points-per-game this season, and their team, when healthy, was dominant. The fact that they still made the playoffs with all of the injuries they had throughout the season is quite impressive. I guess we'll see how next season plays out.

Maybe, but that division is still a slaughterhouse. I definitely think they exposed the Knights a bit but I've never once seen them as a legitimate threat to anything. That definitely sucked about the Hartman goal getting waived off but you still could've found a way in OT and they didn't. That's what makes them a perennial pass to round 2.

 

[MessierThanThou]

Maybe, but that division is still a slaughterhouse. I definitely think they exposed the Knights a bit but I've never once seen them as a legitimate threat to anything. That definitely sucked about the Hartman goal getting waived off but you still could've found a way in OT and they didn't. That's what makes them a perennial pass to round 2.

Yeah, their first round record makes them sound like the Leafs of the West...it would be funny to see them sign Marner.

 

[alanschu]

This is a DOG days of summer post if I’ve ever seen one LOL.

100% yes haha.

How about that Hyman Wrecking Ball!

 

[McTonyBrar]

Was at a wedding so never got to watch but WOOOOOO!!!! LETS f***ING GOOOOOOO Skinner obviously had a terrific game and I heard Klingberg and our depth was great again. Bring on the WC FINALS!!

 

[PitkanensGitch]

We’re all shocked about Skinner. Didn’t have to make any incredible saves because the boys played amazing all the way through the lineup, but props to him for not letting in any stinkers. Best two game stretch of team play I can remember from this club.

Eichel is so damn good. Don’t care that he didn’t score in the series. Guy is elite. Having a player like him in our lineup would add a third capable puck handler. I know we were in on Rantanen. I’d take Eichel in a heartbeat . His 200 foot game is incredible and putting him with Connor or Leo would be a treat. Vegas surely looks to rebuild.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I’m empathetic to the feeling of alienation but this is sucha funny post in a hockey forum right after the team moves to the WCF.

This is a DOG days of summer post if I’ve ever seen one LOL.

In the scheme of things one of these things is of endless importance. I don't lose sight of that. But I get your point.

Plus we didn't yet win the SC last night. WE beat the Vegas dogs. heh

I'll never get over what occured a couple weeks ago.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

I know I owe someone.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

We’re all shocked about Skinner. Didn’t have to make any incredible saves because the boys played amazing all the way through the lineup, but props to him for not letting in any stinkers. Best two game stretch of team play I can remember from this club.

Eichel is so damn good. Don’t care that he didn’t score in the series. Guy is elite. Having a player like him in our lineup would add a third capable puck handler. I know we were in on Rantanen. I’d take Eichel in a heartbeat . His 200 foot game is incredible and putting him with Connor or Leo would be a treat. Vegas surely looks to rebuild.

There's a lot of discussion about the Oilers having to play "perfect defense" for him to win and it's not entirely wrong but generally if you limit the egregious errors any goalie will succeed. I think back to that first game against the Kings and they were so terrible all over the ice with bad passes (Bouchard with a pizza for instance). They've come a long way since those two gong shows to open the playoffs.

Really, you should be striving to play tight defense regardless.

 

[MessierII]

We’re all shocked about Skinner. Didn’t have to make any incredible saves because the boys played amazing all the way through the lineup, but props to him for not letting in any stinkers. Best two game stretch of team play I can remember from this club.

Eichel is so damn good. Don’t care that he didn’t score in the series. Guy is elite. Having a player like him in our lineup would add a third capable puck handler. I know we were in on Rantanen. I’d take Eichel in a heartbeat . His 200 foot game is incredible and putting him with Connor or Leo would be a treat. Vegas surely looks to rebuild.

lol Vegas isn’t going to rebuild. They just won the division. They’ll make some tweaks and keep going. Eichel isn’t going anywhere.

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

Exactly.... Back when talking about Skinner's game would get people shouted down around here as "Skinner defenders" or "relatives", I argued exactly that.

When the Oilers play low-event hockey, Skinner is solid, composed and it suits his game perfectly by not exposing his weaknesses. He is a structured goalie who excels in a structured game. A 2-1 victory is a Skinner calling card (well except for that important one last year that went the other way).

Pickard on the other hand is the guy you want in net if the game is going to turn into fire wagon hockey. He's more agile, better anticipation/improvisation and a battler. He's the guy you want if it's gonna be a 6-5 game with our talent coming out on top.

It's great to have two such different profiles. (I still secretly wish Campbell hadn't washed out, very similar to Pickard, but a bit more big-save talented)

Good post. These were team shutouts with absolutely locked down structured, disciplined and dogged goal suppression work across 200 feet. The epitome was McDavid and Hyman full tilt backtrack together to eliminate a Vegas odd man rush chance, take the puck away, and there to move the puck quickly the other way was Nugent Hopkins. Their defending really began with absolute stellar neutral zone play with aggressive work by their d-corp with the assured knowledge the forward support would be there. Vegas has only 26 rush chances (to Oilers 40) in the series.

Due credit to Skinner for his resiliency to reset and deliver confident, economical, and composed goaltending. This was a full team committing to the goal suppression structure and work ethic required of Cup champions. I posted earlier in this thread that it is perhaps this team's 1984 moment when the Dynasty boy made this final necessary step in their Championship game.

 

[Oilslick941611]

lol Vegas isn’t going to rebuild. They just won the division. They’ll make some tweaks and keep going. Eichel isn’t going anywhere.

They only won the division because we tanked it after the 4 nations break with injuries. It was more a fact of us "blowing" in the last 3rd of the season than the Knights "winning" it. The end result is the same, but like the last year, we left the division winner in the dust when the games mattered.

 

[PaPaDee]

Did not expect the Oil to beat Vegas 3x in their arena. Quite something.

Skinner - his confidence must be high right now. Back-to-back shutouts. No amazing saves, but he made all the stops.

I thought Stetcher played great. Give Ekholm all the recovery time he needs.

 

[ORRFForever]

If they get knocked out do they bring Marner back or let him walk and use the cap space to round out the team better?

I'd bring him back and trade Matthews. They'd get a TON for Matthews and nothing for Marner if he leaves.

 

[Canovin]

We’re all shocked about Skinner. Didn’t have to make any incredible saves because the boys played amazing all the way through the lineup, but props to him for not letting in any stinkers. Best two game stretch of team play I can remember from this club.

Eichel is so damn good. Don’t care that he didn’t score in the series. Guy is elite. Having a player like him in our lineup would add a third capable puck handler. I know we were in on Rantanen. I’d take Eichel in a heartbeat . His 200 foot game is incredible and putting him with Connor or Leo would be a treat. Vegas surely looks to rebuild.

haha imagine Eichel joins the Oilers in a year lol. We have the cap space for him in 2026-27 too. I agree I would him over Rantanen. Probably the only guys I would take over him is Makar, Mackinnon and Barkov

 

[ORRFForever]

Leafs fans always talk about how their division is just too good, but I think it's more their division has teams (Boston and Florida in particular) who will punch them in the mouth, and the Leafs aren't interested in punching back.

I'd be super curious to see this Leafs core play Carolina this year, who is squeaky clean in comparison.

Well said.

 

[Drivesaitl]

We’re all shocked about Skinner. Didn’t have to make any incredible saves because the boys played amazing all the way through the lineup, but props to him for not letting in any stinkers. Best two game stretch of team play I can remember from this club.

Eichel is so damn good. Don’t care that he didn’t score in the series. Guy is elite. Having a player like him in our lineup would add a third capable puck handler. I know we were in on Rantanen. I’d take Eichel in a heartbeat . His 200 foot game is incredible and putting him with Connor or Leo would be a treat. Vegas surely looks to rebuild.

pfft, Eichel was compltely one dimensional all playoffs. When you become zero threat scoring, and he only had one goal all playoffs and was passing off constantly it limits how dangerous you are.

What did Eichel actually do in the series other than trying to pass it into the net. I was hard on Rantanen after the trade an seeing him in Carolina but that guy got it. he figured out that as a star player when your whole top group isn't scoring you HAVE to get some goals. you have to. You could pass 50 pucks and if most of the team are snakebit thats not making one iota difference.

Dallas only advanced because Rants figured it out. That it had to be him. Eichel is still passing pucks somewhere in the desert. This is a non generational player that fooled people one year, one run, and basically because Marsh had an out of this world scoring heater.

 

[MessierII]

They only won the division because we tanked it after the 4 nations break with injuries. It was more a fact of us "blowing" in the last 3rd of the season than the Knights "winning" it. The end result is the same, but like the last year, we left the division winner in the dust when the games mattered.

They still had the 3rd most points in the NHL. They aren’t going to rebuild. Retool a little bit? Sure but they will still probably win the division again next year.