WCF: Edmonton Oilers vs. Colorado Avalanche ( Avs lead 3-0 )

[Aceboogie]

At this point, the Oilers are just playing with house money, so if they lose the series- its not going to be devasting

Realistically, the Avs have too much fire power and depth. And their D core is better able to handle a run and gun style of the Oilers offense

The best chance for the Oilers to win is if Kuemper has a meltdown and lays 4 eggs. Smith will also need to be solid

Ill def enjoy the McDavid/Draisaitl vs Mackinnon/Makar show

 

[Coffey]

the Oilers are just playing with house money

Bingo!

Stress is off after the Flames series.
Any wins after are just bonuses.

 

[Tralfamadore]

There is absolutely pressure on the Oilers. Sure maybe not as much as the AVS but McDavid is the best player in the world and the face of the NHL yet hasn't come close to the Stanley Cup yet. He's trending way behind Crosby's legacy in that regard and has higher individual expectations than anyone in the league. There's loads of pressure.

 

[dekelikekocur]

Forsberg, Sakic, Yzerman, Fedorov, Shanahan, Hejduk don't count as top heavy?

Not when you look at how they were spread out and the rest of the lineups.

 

[Tralfamadore]

Not when you look at how they were spread out and the rest of the lineups.

Ah okay I see what you're getting at.

 

[Aceboogie]

There is absolutely pressure on the Oilers. Sure maybe not as much as the AVS but McDavid is the best player in the world and the face of the NHL yet hasn't come close to the Stanley Cup yet. He's trending way behind Crosby's legacy in that regard and has higher individual expectations than anyone in the league. There's loads of pressure.

I think the difference is that the Avs have built a better roster around MacKinnon, and one that is cup quality

Holland hasn't done that for McDavid

So yes, the Oilers should have cup exprectations yearly because they have the best 2 players in the world. But they dont this year because the roster just isnt there

If you are Connor, I think you can realistically look at this roster and not feel like a failure if they dint win a cup

McDavid has willed this team to the WCF, and his playoff performance is already an all time one. Itll be tough for him to do anymore. So I dont think his legacy will be tarnished too much, because any objective fan can see you need a good roster around you to win

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

There is absolutely pressure on the Oilers. Sure maybe not as much as the AVS but McDavid is the best player in the world and the face of the NHL yet hasn't come close to the Stanley Cup yet. He's trending way behind Crosby's legacy in that regard and has higher individual expectations than anyone in the league. There's loads of pressure.

I'm not so sure, unlike the Avs nobody expected the Oilers to get this far, and it's expected by some that the Avs will steamroll them. If this series goes deep maybe some doubt creeps in.

The Oilers are playing with house money as others have said, but I do hope they don't play like they're just happy to be here.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

I'm not so sure, unlike the Avs nobody expected the Oilers to get this far, and it's expected by some that the Avs will steamroll them. If this series goes deep maybe some doubt creeps in.

The Oilers are playing with house money as others have said, but I do hope they don't play like they're just happy to be here.

Playing with house money is a bad mentality. I think that cost the Avs their series against San Jose.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Avs should prevail but both teams can score at will and both have questionable goaltending. Last series I predicted a 9-5 game before it happened and I will predict two games will be 7-3 and maybe one 6-5. These will not be low scoring games.

WCQF GM7: Dallas @ Flames | 9:30 PM | ESPN2, SN

What a performance by Oettinger. Dallas has a stud with that one. Need to unload a lot of dead weight up front. Team left him out to dry.

hfboards.mandatory.com

WCSF: GAME 1 - OILERS @ FLAMES, 7:30 p.m. MT | TV: CBC/Sportsnet | Radio: Sportsnet 960

One of these games is going to be 9-5... might be tonight?

hfboards.mandatory.com

So you made a prediction, you were wrong about it, and you still feel the need to gloat about it being wrong?



Yup, you're an Oilers fan alright

 

[Just Rude]

Those Wings/Avs series from the 90s/early 2000s weren't top heavy, both teams had serious depth throughout.

Huh? Forsberg, Sakic, Lidstrom, Fedorov, Yzerman, etc.... aren't top-heavy stars?

Not when you look at how they were spread out and the rest of the lineups.

Ah, fair. I don't think we've seen this much talent in one series since then, though, but I could be wrong.

 

[tkb81]

Read the initial post again. Again, absolutely baffled that you are so offended by the Oilers being called an underdog.

bah too far back now ... haha i'll trust ya ... but i do agree they were the underdog against the flames and major underdogs against the avs ... I have the avs in 6

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Playing with house money is a bad mentality. I think that cost the Avs their series against San Jose.

I think that's just the mentality the fans have, I highly doubt McDavid is satisfied with just being here.

With that said I do wonder if there will be a slight emotional letdown for both teams after taking out rival teams in dramatic fashion.

 

[Coffey]

There is absolutely pressure on the Oilers. Sure maybe not as much as the AVS but McDavid is the best player in the world and the face of the NHL yet hasn't come close to the Stanley Cup yet. He's trending way behind Crosby's legacy in that regard and has higher individual expectations than anyone in the league. There's loads of pressure.

We know most of the team stinks...

 

[Faceboner]

No Edmonton fan should be talking about cringe. You guys cry if McDavid is so much as breathed on. Y’all would be traumatized to the point of institutionalization if McDavid had to put up with the clutch-and-grab conditions Crosby had to put up with in his early career.

I don't know man i see players hitch a free ride, hook, slash, highstick and interfere he might get mad at a no call from time to time but he is usually right back up or skating through it he deals with way more obstruction than anybody in the league

 

[Just Rude]

Bingo!

Stress is off after the Flames series.
Any wins after are just bonuses.

No offense, but this is a load of shit. "Stress if off"? You are in the conference final.

The Oilers had four first overall picks in six years, including a "generational talent" in McJesus, and picked #3 and #7 (Nurse and Drai) in the other two years. Before this spring, they had exactly one playoff series win. Until this year, they have drastically underachieved, something I think all Oiler fans would agree on.

The Pens had two #1 and two #2 in four straight years, and won a Cup within three years.

Hats off to the Oil for getting to the WCF, but you don't draft that much talent to get to the conference final, with apologies to Yakupov and Hall. The Oilers were fifth in the west, not some borderline playoff team. This "house money" rhetoric is bullshit, especially when you are two rounds away from winning it all.

 

[Coffey]

No offense, but this is a load of shit. "Stress if off"? You are in the conference final.

The Oilers had four first overall picks in six years, including a "generational talent" in McJesus, and picked #3 and #7 (Nurse and Drai) in the other two years. Before this spring, they had exactly one playoff series win. Until this year, they have drastically underachieved, something I think all Oiler fans would agree on.

The Pens had two #1 and two #2 in four straight years, and won a Cup within three years.

Hats off to the Oil for getting to the WCF, but you don't draft that much talent to get to the conference final, with apologies to Yakupov and Hall. The Oilers were fifth in the west, not some borderline playoff team. This "house money" rhetoric is bullshit, especially when you are two rounds away from winning it all.

Stress is off me as a fan.
I'm sure it's just been amplified for the players.

 

[Da McBomb]

Normally I would say the Avs are heavy favorites over the Oilers. But with the way McDavid and Drai are playing right now and combined with the hot play of Hyman, Kane and Nuge... I think the series will be pretty even. Avs definitely have the better defence. But I think the Oilers d core is underrated. They may not have that superstar dman like Makar, but all of the dmen they do have are all good NHL dmen.

 

[ASmileyFace]

Really curious to see which version of Kuemper we get in this series. Round 1 Kuemper was great... round 2 Kuemper not so much. McDavid and company have been feeding on mediocre and outright bad goaltending in these playoffs. It doesn't matter how good the Avs defense is if the Oilers continue to score on 12% of their shots.

Simply because I don't have a lot of faith in Kuemper I think this one is going the distance; Avs in 7 with multiples complete meltdowns by HF Avs when Connor and Leon put up huge numbers.

 

[Megapint]

Kadri gonna be fun to watch this series. Watch him completely throw the Oilers off their game.

Oilers are full marks for beating the Flames, but now they get their reality check. Avs in 6, at most.

Taking the Avs to game 6 in the WCF with a 40 year old in net is not reality check. Colorado should take the Oilers out in 5 or less. If they don't then it will be the Avs getting a reality check.

 

[Zilo44]

To me, this series has a Cavaliers-Warriors vibe in the sense that Colorado has the far superior roster, but Edmonton has the best player in the world. Fun to see

 

[WetcoastOrca]

While I agree that Colorado has more pressure to win, I don’t necessarily see this as a bad thing. These are professional athletes who are used to and thrive under pressure. I mean Tampa was under way more pressure than Montreal last year in the finals. And while I’m in no way comparing Montreal and Edmonton, generally the best team wins in a seven game series. I think this would be a pretty big upset if the Oilers win but as we’ve seen many times sports is unpredictable.
Nevertheless I’d take Colorado in 6.

 

[Puck Blaster]

Have the oilers in #5. McDsvid, Draisatl, Cane, Nuge, Zach H, much better scoring power than Avs. Goalies are equal, Colorado D little better (nothing to brag about, except their offensive defencman). Oilers will open Avs fans eyes. This team has momentum.

 

[Bender]

I was wondering if anyone was going to point out the most obvious challenge the Oilers will experience… it’s not the Avs D (which is good, superior to the Oilers)… it’s puck possession and scoring execution.

The Oilers forwards will have to play a near immaculate defensive game, playing deeper in the D zone, or they will be playing from behind on a regular basis… and that in itself been a big concern all playoffs.

For the first time in a very long time , I have confidence in our coaching staff. Woodcroft, Gulutzan and Manson have done an amazing job with in game strategies.

I'd love to be in that room :

Dave Manson - "So when you're dumping the puck in, make sure you get it on the side of... *ahem* my son and then forecheck hard".

Or on the bench :

Dave Manson - "What's going on, you get hurt?"

Oilers player - "Yeah, your son gave me a cheapshot!"

 

[WetcoastOrca]

To me, this series has a Cavaliers-Warriors vibe in the sense that Colorado has the far superior roster, but Edmonton has the best player in the world. Fun to see

The biggest difference is that in basketball LeBron played 40 plus minutes of a 48 minute game or about 85% to 90% of the game.

 

[Megapint]

Colorado had a significant advantage on D.

Forwards however the top 6 for the Oilers is more potent.