WCSF | Vancouver Canucks vs. Edmonton Oilers | Round 2 - FIGHT!

[tantalum]

In the end, my belief is that more than any other series this series will be about who wins the special teams battle. Whatever team comes out with the better PK+PP takes it.

 

[mathonwy]

https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-...-multi-year-deal-ahead-of-2022-23-nhl-season/

 

[rypper]

Elliotte Friedman commented on that list of everyone picking the Oilers. While he stayed neutral he did say "I don't know about that...." meaning people are under rating Vancouver.

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

Elliotte Friedman commented on that list of everyone picking the Oilers. While he stayed neutral he did say "I don't know about that...." meaning people are under rating Vancouver.

It's been a while since we were serious underdogs. Last time to this extent was 2007 Round 2 against Anaheim?

Enjoy the ride. Massive upsets have happened before, and they will happen again.

 

[Jyrki21]

Dom L’s system has Hughes rated the same as Bouchard. How he forms his thoughts on hockey are worthless and actively make The Athletic that reference them worse.

Now this current rating system is based on one round so it’s even noisier and less informative than his usually useless rankings.

He doesn’t seem to actually understand hockey beyond numbers in his model. I’m continuously surprised how nascent public hockey analytics, and stubborn, still is. Nowhere near as informative or understanding of how context matters as other sports.

His model nailed every first round matchup...? It's just objective data, I think it's weird for Canuck fans to be taking umbrage with basic facts. It's not a "slight" that everyone has Edmonton favored -- it would be kind of insane not to, particularly after the first round and considering the Canucks are without one (but practically, two) of their aces. They were the most common Cup pick for pundits before the season too, this isn't some strange take.

 

[Jyrki21]

Cuthbert vs Singh is a massive upgrade.

If i had to rate the Canadian group

Shorthouse Miller Cuthbert are all excellent

Ball Mudryk are very good

Michaels and Singh can go away as far as im concerned i dont really feel like they enhance the experience.

Singh makes too many mistakes missing nuances or key moments annoying stupid non hockey dialogue "Bonino bonino.." "saved his samosa" and has fake emotions. It's just not real with him the passion doesn't bleed through like the good one's. Michaels is too scratchy

Ferraro is the best in the business for colour

Johnson Simpson Cosentino are very good and i kinda like Debrusk as well unlike a lot of you

Randorf Rosen Daniels Burke are my favourites from the American contingent.

Thankfully we dodged a bullet as the PBP should enhance the game not make it annoying

I am a big fan of Chris Cuthbert, but I expect the commentary to be spun decidedly from an Oiler standpoint. Cuthbert always used to get the EDM/CGY games when Bob Cole had the eastern HNIC game, and of course Simpson is an Oiler guy. Plus even when they were bad, Edmonton (and to a degree Calgary) always used to be the HNIC darlings, I think because Alberta has always been seen as the rugged personification of Canadian hockey or whatever (and the relationship wasn't as personal or profit-driven as TOR/MTL, so it was more like glowing admiration).

On top of that, everything narratively is going to be about McDavid and him breaking through, so the Canucks will very much be the Washington Generals in this framing.

 

[Vector]

His model nailed every first round matchup...? It's just objective data, I think it's weird for Canuck fans to be taking umbrage with basic facts. It's not a "slight" that everyone has Edmonton favored -- it would be kind of insane not to, particularly after the first round and considering the Canucks are without one (but practically, two) of their aces. They were the most common Cup pick for pundits before the season too, this isn't some strange take.

Did I call it a slight?

Edit: Any system that gets through the regular season and has Evan Bouchard rated the same as Quinn Hughes is pretty severely flawed. Data that is calculated incorrectly is still bad regardless if there's no bias.

 

[Luck 6]

I can already see our fans wont be taking it easy on the trash talk on the main board...

I watched quite a bit of the oilers kings series, outside colorado edmonton looked like the 2nd best team, I refuse to live in fantasy land. If vc looses be prepared to swallow the trash talk. I would just enjoy the ride and hope vc can pull the rabbit out of a hat. Game 4 kings played amazing finally, and oilers kind of just shut the door and played well defensively. They are not a one line team and offensively seem to have a much better system and pp.

I'm going out of my way to not buy into the trash talk as well... But man... Some Oilers fans are really being disrespectful haha. I sincerely hope we come out and win games 1 and 2 so they be quiet a bit haha.

 

[sting101]

I am a big fan of Chris Cuthbert, but I expect the commentary to be spun decidedly from an Oiler standpoint. Cuthbert always used to get the EDM/CGY games when Bob Cole had the eastern HNIC game, and of course Simpson is an Oiler guy. Plus even when they were bad, Edmonton (and to a degree Calgary) always used to be the HNIC darlings, I think because Alberta has always been seen as the rugged personification of Canadian hockey or whatever (and the relationship wasn't as personal or profit-driven as TOR/MTL, so it was more like glowing admiration).

On top of that, everything narratively is going to be about McDavid and him breaking through, so the Canucks will very much be the Washington Generals in this framing.

Yes i fully expect the media narrative to be about McDavid and his Oilers and i bet the refs follow suit. Simpson will be insufferable as he usually is with us

It's truly a David vs Goliath scenario for the Canucks. It seems almost everyone is counting us out which will make it that much better if we can push them to the brink or even better win the series.

It's a shame that Demko and Pettersson are not in form but it's why they play the games so we'll see what happens

 

[bossram]

For the bolded, I thought so as well but the his rankings and depth chart clearly say "Playoff depth chart" and he repeats this in his article.

Yes, he's mentioned that he's adjusting his model to add more of it in. A big part of the problem is that it's taken him this long to figure out that's required. I've mostly stopped reading and commenting on his articles partially because I find them boring but mostly I don't actually take anything interesting away from them.

I'm vehemently against sports gambling so not going touch the rest. Difference of opinion and where you and me diverge the most.

Yes, the depth chart is based on what he sees in the playoffs but the inputs (e.g. the Net Rating) for each player is cumulative from the regular season on. He has Pettersson rated +16 Net Rating. That is obviously not based on his performance from round 1.

No one has to gamble, but the sportsbook odds are the most objective assessments we have at rating teams. Can't really say someone is way off or biased if they are mostly in line with the market.

 

[Indiana]

All the pressure is on the oilers to win, everyone expects them to

They are "Canada's Team" again.

The good news is: Coilers have a habit of letting it get to their heads & stinking up the joint.

They've always been a fragile team.

Even back when our team was crap, the Sedins would still crap on the Coils.

If we get 1 in on them early, it could open the floodgates to this again:

 

[Vector]

Yes, the depth chart is based on what he sees in the playoffs but the inputs (e.g. the Net Rating) for each player is cumulative from the regular season on. He has Pettersson rated +16 Net Rating. That is obviously not based on his performance from round 1.

Then I must be misunderstanding what he's saying and what's being represented.

I'll go back to my first point, any system that has Evan Bouchard rated the same as Quinn Hughes using regular season numbers is flawed.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Embrace the bald! Shave all the hair off you coward!!

but stay away from bics

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Losing to the Oilers is like a double loss. We've got to take this series just so we don't have to listen to their insufferable crowing.

fwiw my wife is as neutral an observer as there is and just from seeing professional colleagues in edmonton and their retweets on twitter she was like, wow oilers fans on the internet are really unhinged, aren’t they?

 

[ziploc]

PP and PK will be huge, and is a pretty big worry really, but the biggest key I think is getting to Skinner early. They need to kill the Oilers' confidence in their goaltending, and put them back into that early season mindset. Lots of pucks on net, lots of bodies in front.

 

[SelltheTeamFrancesco]

fwiw my wife is as neutral an observer as there is and just from seeing professional colleagues in edmonton and their retweets on twitter she was like, wow oilers fans on the internet are really unhinged, aren’t they?

Canucks fans on Twitter are not much better.

 

[ziploc]

Canucks fans on Twitter are not much better.

Every team has unhinged fans. We have as many as anyone. I would love to see Edmonton's arrogant fans knocked off their pegs however. The team has been given every advantage and has wasted its potential entirely so far. Long may it continue.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Canucks fans on Twitter are not much better.

That video making the rounds of the kid launching a profanity laden tirade at the Preds and Oilers is all kinds of yikes. Primarily because an adult/multiple adults let that video get online in the first place. Jesus.

 

[Grip it N RYP it]

https://theprovince.com/sports/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks/canucks-vs-oilers-arty-party-goalie-vancouvers-newest-underdog?s=

“I just wanted to embrace the challenge and I’ve played on big stages before and was already familiar with what could happen,” Silovs said after Friday’s win

 

[ziploc]

https://theprovince.com/sports/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks/canucks-vs-oilers-arty-party-goalie-vancouvers-newest-underdog?s=

“I just wanted to embrace the challenge and I’ve played on big stages before and was already familiar with what could happen,” Silovs said after Friday’s win

I really believe in this kid. I think we have a gamer here and in a few years the Canucks could have an interesting decision to make.

 

[HairyKneel]

Every game is a bonus now.
Absolutely nobody thought Vancouver would be an easy pick for a playoff spot let alone winning the division, even Rutherford/Allvin stated "we think this can be a playoff team IF they all stay healthy" not exactly a ringing endorsement of confidence.
That they did win the division even though not playing great in the end of the easy season was great.
That they won the first round of the playoffs is a great thanks to Allvin/Rutherford totally rebuilding the defence with large humans and Tocchet's desire for even bigger guys yet, real season type guys, playoff type guys.

No one should be upset regardless of the outcome, they are playing with house money now. Which is why they might pull a rabbit out of the hat.

On the game management side, these late game decisions that can influence the outcome are ridiculous and obvious.
Just last night the game management people allowed Dallas a line change in violations of the rules which possibly influenced the outcome, in Nashville that wishy washy call on Lindholm was all out of proportion to what had been happening all game.

In just about every series late in games are calls favouring one team or the other, mostly the home team.

Do the Canucks have a chance? Sure, especially as how Tocchet has them playing like the old Devils under Lemaire but they aren't a "cult" yet.

Those espn guys thought the Van/Preds game was a snooze fest and then praised the Vegas/Dallas game as great and yet the shots on goal and chances were pretty similar.

Screw that it’s house money. They didn’t limp into the playoffs with 92 points. They were a top 5 team from tip to tail. You’re the same guy saying the OEL buyout will sink the team and this is a one year window.

Who cares what Rutherford said at the beginning of the season. He didn’t want to put unnecessary pressure on a new coach and a young, inexperienced core.

People can be upset if they want to if they lose.

I have the Canucks in 6 or 7.

They don’t play the old Devils style. They play a solid defensive game with a lot more puck pressure.

Enjoy the playoffs guardian. You seem like you want to dumb everything down for everyone. It’s not all doom and gloom and the window isn’t slamming shut. This is a top 5 to 8 core with tons of tread on the tires yet. Or don’t…..complain about Benning and OEL etc.

 

[strattonius]

I know this board doesn't like sports betting and I agree with most of what's said; BUT the odds of putting money on the Canucks to winning in either 6 or 7 games is a pretty remarkable return.

I concede the Oilers as being the favourites but they are getting hugely overrated. Like all of a sudden our 50 win team that won the division would be lucky to beat the Oilers. Don't really get it I like our fwd depth, coaching, defense and goaltending all more. Obviously McDavid and Draisaitl and that powerplay tips the scales but I say run with this huge underdog narrative - I'm all about the house money term we are throwing around.

 

[Vector]

 

[sting101]

I find it funny and odd that people actually care about what Oiler fans think about Vancouver our hockey team and city. Seems like an odd high school "what are they saying about me" insecurity syndrome.

Don't fall for the bait......you're obviously gonna get trolled and i've been to Edmonton that would be like wanting Medusa to feel like she got the fair deal in genetics with Kate Beckinsdale and not holding any kind of grudge.

We literally have nothing to feel bad about in this series. Our all world goalie is out and we never once won a lottery or were gifted one of the best players of all time. Everything comes us roses as far as i'm concerned

In terms of being written off the thing the Canucks have that almost no teams (other than COL w/ Makar) have is Hughes and Hronek to negate the speed of McDavid in transition. Zadorov vs Draisaitl should also make for some compelling battles. If our PP can get it going we can make this interesting.

 

[mriswith]

I think we'd take them in 5 or 6 if our teams were equally healthy but going to into this series without Demko and with a 25% Pettersson is the equivalent of Edmonton missing McDavid while we're fully healthy.