Post-Game Talk: This is the end

[TheNumber4]

Rumors have it that Both McDavid and Drai were hurt in the Vancouver series. Anyone know if this is true? Drai w/ broken rib is the rumor

People always undersell the Oilers road to Cup. But rivalry series like the Kings and Nucks and Flames are much more physically taxing and violent than bullshit Central divsion “rivalries”.

Haven’t even listened to the post game yet. Will be gut wrenching. Gonna listen to it on a bike ride and mix some relaxation with the exercise.

 

[sepHF]

But in another kind of way, they actually ARE factoring in the result. Hockey is the only major sport where the interpretation of rules is completely different in the playoffs than it is in regular season.

yea its funny. There are regular season rules, playoff rules, game 7 rules and then SCF game 7 rules

If you get yourself to a game 7 in the final you're basically in a cage fight

We got away with a few egregious hooks / holds too

 

[McJadeddog]

I just feel so bad for the guys. McDavid and Draisaitl are just targets and the league does nothing but say "it's playoff hockey" while Tkachuk and Bennett flop around and are labeled champions.

Best sport but the worst league in the world.

I tell this to fellow "hockey people" all the time, and often get strange looks back. It's like people are in a cult and they can't come to the realization that the cult leader has been banging their wife. The NHL is the worst, by far, pro-sports league in north america, and it has been for quite some time. The NHL has no ability to look at its on-ice product and realize how *terrible* it is during the playoffs. It's really sad.

This isn't sour grapes from me about the loss last night either. I think the Oilers have likely benefited from non-calls as much as any other team. It affects all teams roughly the same IMO. I don't watch playoff hockey unless the Oilers are in it, because playoff hockey is basically rugby, and has a significant lack of skill compared to regular season hockey.

 

[Lay Z Boy GM]

That’s all dependent on the circumstances of him leaving. Didn’t cheer for Pronger in 07. Why? Because he demanded a trade that set my team back 5-10 years. Exactly the same thing as Ratboy did to you guys but here you are celebrating his “victory”. (He had 9 points all playoffs 3 in the final round and spent more time flopping than skating). He deserves no credit for this win complete passenger and still a disgrace to the game. So no it’s not all the same.

I almost puked seeing Pronger lift the Cup and ever since then I hate seeing other teams win. Except for Ovechkin, he needed that and I loved how the emotion just poured out of him when he won.

 

[McJadeddog]

Every time he sits down in front of a camera he is wrong.

He isn't trying to be right, that isn't his schtick. He is trying to generate clicks and views by saying outlandish things. It's why you shouldn't watch unserious people.

I happen to think he is right in this case, most won't remember an "almost comeback", but that is besides my point above.

Very much this. The talking heads in media want to manufacture something to talk about, so they're on about the dominance of this team and that team throughout the series. However, this was a really close series between some evenly matched teams. Even where the score was lopsided, a lot turned on some early bounces that allowed one of the two teams to dictate how the game would be played. In Game 7, if Bouchard's point shot in the first period goes in, Florida opens up and we could win 5 or 6-1. Instead, they get the bounces on that night and were able to shut it down.

In terms of coping with the loss, in a lot of ways that makes it harder. This team battled through so much adversity, did what they needed to do, and at the end of the day they essentially lost a coin flip. Now we're back to square one.

Yeah, people will say my original post is "coping", but its really not. Realizing how close the series was actually makes dealing with the loss significantly harder (unfortunately for me, lol).

 

[Pizza!Pizza!]

He isn't trying to be right, that isn't his schtick. He is trying to generate clicks and views by saying outlandish things. It's why you shouldn't watch unserious people.

I happen to think he is right in this case, most won't remember an "almost comeback", but that is besides my point above.



Yeah, people will say my original post is "coping", but its really not. Realizing how close the series was actually makes dealing with the loss significantly harder (unfortunately for me, lol).

it's the first McJesus Cup final, it will be remembered for that alone.

 

[WaitingForUser]

But in another kind of way, they actually ARE factoring in the result. Hockey is the only major sport where the interpretation of rules is completely different in the playoffs than it is in regular season.

Yeah as much as people love playoff hockey they really need to just enforce the rules the same all year. A penalty on game one of 82 should be penalty in game 7 of the SCF. It would only take a few rounds for people to adjust and we may not see the targeting of certain players. Like I said earlier hitting to hurt is one thing but intending to cause a serious injury is completely different. The way the rules are enforced in the playoffs leads to way more of the latter. To add insult to injury we rarely see proper discipline when there are injuries. Example Pie and his viscous slash on Drai this year or Bennet and his flying elbows against the Bruins and Rangers. Just call the damn book and protect your damn players.

 

[Drivesaitl]

People always undersell the Oilers road to Cup. But rivalry series like the Kings and Nucks and Flames are much more physically taxing and violent than bullshit Central divsion “rivalries”.

Haven’t even listened to the post game yet. Will be gut wrenching. Gonna listen to it on a bike ride and mix some relaxation with the exercise.

Wear your bike helmet!

Post game wasn't so bad. Probably easier to listen than view. But not the devastation we saw at losses to the AV's or Knights. Like Drai said we were one shot, one inch away. The team know they got there this time and the rode the horse all the way. The other years the guys were expressing failure. Didn't get that sense this time, nor is it any kind of failure. It was a pretty great success.

sorry for the spoilers...

 

[Captain Fantastic]

A septic tank? Ouch.

You can’t compare expecting your kid to play for the team he was drafted to and expecting your kid on the hardest night of his life to come out crying / heart broken to a bunch of boos to basically humiliate himself.

As a father I couldn’t even imagine having this line of thought.

I take back the septic tank remark. We have differing opinions and that's OK.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Wear your bike helmet!

Post game wasn't so bad. Probably easier to listen than view. But not the devastation we saw at losses to the AV's or Knights. Like Drai said we were one shot, one inch away. The team know they got there this time and the rode the horse all the way. The other years the guys were expressing failure. Didn't get that sense this time, nor is it any kind of failure. It was a pretty great success.

sorry for the spoilers...

Side / random note. Anyone else find that kids don’t wear helmets anymore?

 

[WaitingForUser]

I almost puked seeing Pronger lift the Cup and ever since then I hate seeing other teams win. Except for Ovechkin, he needed that and I loved how the emotion just poured out of him when he won.

Still have not to this day seen him or Brindamour holding that trophy and I never want to. We gifted the ducks that cup

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

I take back the septic tank remark. We have differing opinions and that's OK.

I also take back my snippy comments. I think we’re all a little extra spicy today.

 

[Drivesaitl]

He's not wrong though.

One of the few times I disagree with you.

As long as people live they remember, and people often pass it on to kids and they remember.

Plus the historian side of me even as a kid could recount every winner and loser in SC history. I guess not everybody is like that but some are. Being so fascinated with SC I would stare at the list of combatants through time, observe the years it wasn't played due to WW or the abbreviated pandemic etc. The SC is history and walks with history. You learn more about history just for the things that shape your fascinations.

people will always remember the Oilers were in this and did themselves proud.

 

[GrumpyKoala]

don’t you think his horrible play against the canucks dragged that series out beyond what it should have been thus exhausting the players more? And game 3 of this series? I’m sadly very familiar with the you need more than 1 goal to win a hockey game debate on goalie performance because of a similar game 7 in round one for the team I cheer for but the way I see it game 7s are supposed to usually be a low scoring affair and a high save percentage doesn’t excuse a back breaking soft goal in these kind of games like the 2nd goal he allowed last night.

Goaltending needs to steal you some games Bob did, Skinner didn't. End game,

Every series was dragged on beyond what should have been because Skinner ain't a good enough goalie come playoffs time. The highs aren't high enough and the low far too frequent.

Hopefully we move on, he not it.

 

[Lay Z Boy GM]

Still have not to this day seen him or Brindamour holding that trophy and I never want to. We gifted the ducks that cup

That’s a layer to it that often gets lost over time. It’s not just the game 7 loss, it’s not just franchise dman Pronger suddenly demanding a trade, there’s the added layer of him winning the very next season.

But yeah it sucks that I can’t enjoy watching the Cup be awarded anymore. I mean all the recent winners are serious divers, dirty scumbags and most of them cheated the cap.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Side / random note. Anyone else find that kids don’t wear helmets anymore?

Yes. But most of the adults don't either. so easy to have an accident on any bike. Head is often first risk.

Humans seem less hardwired for prevention then messing up their hair. Especially Female humans. hehe

 

[McJadeddog]

But in another kind of way, they actually ARE factoring in the result. Hockey is the only major sport where the interpretation of rules is completely different in the playoffs than it is in regular season.

100% this. It's the only sport that almost completely changes the rulebook between regular season and playoffs. Just pick one, I don't care which one, and call it consistently through the entire year.

 

[Lay Z Boy GM]

Goaltending needs to steal you some games Bob did, Skinner didn't. End game,

Every series was dragged on beyond what should have been because Skinner ain't a good enough goalie come playoffs time. The highs aren't high enough and the low far too frequent.

Hopefully we move on, he not it.

Skinner definitely stole some games though. He started out historically bad but by the time we made the finals Skinner looked elite don’t you think? Maybe 1-2 bad goals in the finals, he was great. And I say this as someone who has been really critical of Skinner.

He’s still young so hopefully this experience helped him develop into a more consistent goaltender.

We just need a backup that can give him rest when he needs it.

 

[Captain Fantastic]

I also take back my snippy comments. I think we’re all a little extra spicy today.

I appreciate that. Same...Yeah, extra spicy is a good description. Wished for this to happen for the players especially for McDavid , Drai, Nuge and the younger generation of fans. I really wanted it for them. Disappointed..

 

[Drivesaitl]

McDavid let down Skinner more than Skinner let down McDavid in game 7.

Ridiculous. For sure one will take more responsibility for it than the other but thats just who they are.

McDavid played great. Its OK to say and acknowledge that.

 

[5 14 6 1]

Seeing Drai and McDavid confirmed injuries sure sucks. Would have likely been different had they been healthy. Also the ice was TRASH last night man.

Having said all that I am very excited for this offseason and to see what we van do next year.

New GM, opportunity to offload some dead weight. All the major pieces will be back.

 

[NeverForget06]

Goaltending needs to steal you some games Bob did, Skinner didn't. End game,

Every series was dragged on beyond what should have been because Skinner ain't a good enough goalie come playoffs time. The highs aren't high enough and the low far too frequent.

Hopefully we move on, he not it.

I would say we would have won the Vancouver series sooner but for Skinner's play, but by the same token we may have gone to 7 or even lost against Dallas without his stellar goaltending.

 

[onetweasy]

I just feel so bad for the guys. McDavid and Draisaitl are just targets and the league does nothing but say "it's playoff hockey" while Tkachuk and Bennett flop around and are labeled champions.

Best sport but the worst league in the world.

Couldn’t agree more.

 

[Oilhawks]

Skinner definitely stole some games though. He started out historically bad but by the time we made the finals Skinner looked elite don’t you think? Maybe 1-2 bad goals in the finals, he was great. And I say this as someone who has been really critical of Skinner.

He’s still young so hopefully this experience helped him develop into a more consistent goaltender.

We just need a backup that can give him rest when he needs it.

The Skinner situation is one of those things where you can't really have it both ways. The haters are right in that he could have been better and maybe had a couple shorter series that may have impacted the Finals. But the supporters are also right in that he stole some games that could have changed the complexion of the series had they gone otherwise (Game 6 vs Dallas, Game 4 vs LA, and was very good in game 5 & 6 vs Vancouver).

Does a better goalie win them the Cup this year? Could be, but not sure who they could have had for his cap hit that would have done any better. And if the goalie cost more cap, who do they lose to fit that goalie in? (realistically, not fantasy land bullshit like Nurse out for a better and cheaper D)

 

[sepHF]

don’t you think his horrible play against the canucks dragged that series out beyond what it should have been thus exhausting the players more? And game 3 of this series? I’m sadly very familiar with the you need more than 1 goal to win a hockey game debate on goalie performance because of a similar game 7 in round one for the team I cheer for but the way I see it game 7s are supposed to usually be a low scoring affair and a high save percentage doesn’t excuse a back breaking soft goal in these kind of games like the 2nd goal he allowed last night.

it definitely didnt help

Draisaitl for example doesnt break his finger if that series gets wrapped up in 6 or less

Skinner did better than i thought he would though and proved himself in my eyes. Good value for his contract. Would be nice to have a true 1a/1b setup but I dont know how they could make that work money wise