Pre-Game Talk: Western Conference Finals - Series Discussion (Bring on the Avs!)

[Cloned]

Added a poll!

Am I a bad influence on you?

 

[AddyTheWrath]

Am I a bad influence on you?

I have to admit I don't think I know my way around a pole quite as well as you do.

(Case in point I forgot to enable the setting that allows you to see who voted for what )

 

[T-Funk]

It’s really something to see how many people seem to think a defense consisting of Jack Johnson, Erik Johnson and Josh Manson is going to have the tools to slow down McD and Drai. Makar is phenomenal and Toews is solid but as a pair I think those two are very susceptible to being worn down by the heavy forecheck/cycle game a lot of our forwards play. I only really watched the Avs games against the Oil during the season but based on those three games I really feel they’re overrated by the media. As long as the refs don’t make it a parade to the penalty box I like our chances.

I feel like 7-6, 5-4, 6-5 type games will occur. Both teams gonna feast.

 

[TheNumber4]

He doesn't even have to be clutch all the time - just clutch at the right moments.

Case in point, I was looking up Dwayne Roloson's stats from 2006, and as much as Roli made some memorable saves on that Cup Run (Jonathan Cheechoo, Game 3 OT), he also had his share of rough moments:

*Round 1 against Detroit - At least 3 goals allowed in 4/6 games.

*Round 2 against San Jose - At least 2 goals allowed in 5/6 games, including 2 games with 3 GA (one of which the Oilers had to come back from down 2-0 and 3-1)

*Round 3 against Anaheim - Had two great road games in Games 1 & 2, but then allowed 4 GA on 38 shots in Game 3 (which we barely won) and 5 GA on 45 shots in a Game 4 loss (although I think he might've had the flu that day).

*SCF Game 1 - Wasted a 3-0 Edmonton lead by allowing 4 GA on only 23 shots, right before Ladd Bergeron changed the course of the series.

Comparing 2006 Roli with 2022 Smith thus far (obviously skewed by fewer games played):

	ROLI	SMITH
GP	18	12
SV%	.927	.927
GAA	2.33	2.70
SO	1	2

Great post. Thanks for the research. One thing I was thinking about the other day is how Smith might not be the traditional elite of elite goalies. But he can be that Fuhr like goalie. Not making ALL the saves but just making the most important ones and just enough saves to secure the win. Smith even has Fuhrs numbers on his mask. I think we are already seeing it in these playoffs. Lots of huge saves than turned into goals for us at the other end. Lots of regrettable moments too but nothing that we couldn’t recover from and nothing smith himself couldn’t recover from.

 

[Cloned]

I have to admit I don't think I know my way around a pole quite as well as you do.

(Case in point I forgot to enable the setting that allows you to see who voted for what )

Wait till you see my private account on OilFans.

 

[Niten Ichi Ryu]

The match up that was every NHL fan's wet dream has manifested in the conference final showdown.

If the last game we played them (just a month ago) is any indication of what the series is going to be like, we could have another goal scoring buffet of a series, and at an even higher level

At 6:22, Jack Michaels with the crystal ball foreshadow

 

[TheNumber4]

Jesus look at Kuempers stats to end the year and his stats to end the series against the Blues. We could destroy this dude. Kane has already put up a hat trick against him as I’m reminded from the video above.

Compare that to Smith’s stats to end the year and his current playoff run:

Tell me again how this will be a goalie crap shoot?

 

[Took a pill in Sbisa]

It’s really something to see how many people seem to think a defense consisting of Jack Johnson, Erik Johnson and Josh Manson is going to have the tools to slow down McD and Drai. Makar is phenomenal and Toews is solid but as a pair I think those two are very susceptible to being worn down by the heavy forecheck/cycle game a lot of our forwards play. I only really watched the Avs games against the Oil during the season but based on those three games I really feel they’re overrated by the media. As long as the refs don’t make it a parade to the penalty box I like our chances.

Have to assume Avs fans are saying the same about Keith, Ceci and Barrie stopping MacKinnon

 

[Broberg Speed]

Archibald was -5 in the CGY series averaging around 6mins a night.
Not sure how dressing Holloway or even Russell wouldn't be an upgrade over Archi.

Playoff hockey is a game of momentum... sometimes it even gets physical.

 

[syz]

I don't think McDrai getting shut down is a legitimate concern, at least on paper. The concern is that Colorado could fail to shut them down and still win the series. Grundstrom and Backlund have made Nurse look like a pylon this post-season, I'm scared to see what MacKinnon does to him... and Keith... and Bouchard... and Barrie. Not much foot speed right now on the blue line.

Other concern at least on the road is I imagine it'll be RNH vs MacKinnon. Second line will need to up their game.

 

[Took a pill in Sbisa]

I don't think McDrai getting shut down is a legitimate concern, at least on paper. The concern is that Colorado could fail to shut them down and still win the series. Grundstrom and Backlund have made Nurse look like a pylon this post-season, I'm scared to see what MacKinnon does to him... and Keith... and Bouchard... and Barrie. Not much foot speed right now on the blue line.

Other concern at least on the road is I imagine it'll be RNH vs MacKinnon. Second line will need to up their game.

If Bednar targets Keith with MacKinnon we're definitely in big trouble.

 

[bellagiobob]

Damn it people! Stop being so positive. I feel lost. These are not the hfboards I'm used to.

Wait till we are five minutes into the first period of game one. Things change here in a hurry.

 

[McFlyingV]

Jesus look at Kuempers stats to end the year and his stats to end the series against the Blues. We could destroy this dude. Kane has already put up a hat trick against him as I’m reminded from the video above.

View attachment 553109
View attachment 553110

Compare that to Smith’s stats to end the year and his current playoff run:
View attachment 553112
View attachment 553113


Tell me again how this will be a goalie crap shoot?

Yeah, the "wait until they play a real goalie next round" talk I keep seeing on the mains is pretty hilarious. Kuemper has been down right bad for 2 months now. Of course you never know when a goalie is gonna catch fire in a series, but he's not instilling much confidence that he's gonna look much different than Markstrom.

I never realized Avs fans had so little confidence in Kuemper. They have like zero belief in their guy. Let’s be the smarter, better fanbase please and support OUR guy.

Smith steals this in Roloson like fashion! Let’s go!!!

Smitty's due for a little hot run here after a cold series against Calgary.

 

[McFlyingV]

Can McD overcome Kadri?

This is sarcasm right? Kadri's defensive game is not even close to guys like Danault and Kopitar.

 

[illegalsmile]

Av's it is! Fair enough. No fear! No apprehension! Once more unto the breach, an' all that bollocks... Just remember, boys, from the final buzzer, when we put Calgary out, anything after is a bonus.

The wild-eyed fanboy side of me is saying Oilers in 7, unfortunately, I've been an Oilers fan long enough, to not have any great delusions about "Waltzing to the cup..." (as it was worded on another thread, with a similar topic.) Feel free to hate on me, but this might prove to be our last-hoorah, for this season... That said, the Av's are a tough, solid team. But that doesn't mean they're completely unbeatable... Bring 'em on!

 

[longtimeoilfan]

It’s gonna be the best on the planet against the best on the planet.

Lets go.

Silly TopShelf, McDavid plays with Draisaitl, not against him.

 

[SwedishFire]

As long as Nurse doesnt think hw is Bobby Orr reborn and doing offensive rushes, leaving defensive gaps behind, I belive in success. He seems to settled in to be the defensive block the team needs.

 

[SwedishFire]

Both are offensive- heavy,
So the very structured Blues isnout, and this serie will be very fast offensive blowing fun hockey. The hockeyfan in me loves the match-up. But darn, gonna be hard

 

[Gordian Knot]

Soo, whos gonna be Matt Benning?

Benning hits MacKinnon

If you follow #29 skate, he takes few first strides after getting the puck head down and then you hit him, once he is in full speed you can forget hitting him.

Nurse, Ceci, Bouchard, Niemelainen? Whos gonna stop the train?

 

[brentashton]

So our plan was always going to run Drai and Connor on separate lines, but that went out the window after Drais injury. IF, big if, he is able to resume his duties on his own line, do we go back to that, and drop RNH to the third line, and have more balance to the forward lines, like we had for much of our stretch run, or do we go nuclear option line no matter what?

I hope Drai can get back close to full health in the next week and we can revert back to splitting them as a 3 line approach. I think that gives us better ability to keep constant pressure on th AVS forward group who I think we can agree is very deep. The other benefit if it works is that it means Drai is healthy which is a big positive as we go deeper. And of course If this approach stalls, you go full Robert Oppenheimer. Either way , is it Tuesday yet?

 

[brentashton]

Blues fan here. Mind if I come join you for the next round?

Stay for both.

 

[Burnt Biscuits]

This is sarcasm right? Kadri's defensive game is not even close to guys like Danault and Kopitar.

True, but he plays a unique brand of hockey he gets under players skins about as well as anyone and he does a lot of dirty subtle things. Plus he is very good at walking the line on what the refs will and won't call, he will clutch and grab the hell out of McDavid and let him go that split second before a ref would call him for it.

 

[tardigrade81]

6:00 matchup for me. Excellent! I won’t be too tired.

 

[Reginald Dunlop]

6:00 matchup for me. Excellent! I won’t be too tired.

930 start time in NL so much better than 11 or midnight!

 

[SaltNPeca]

No pressure on us in this series as everyone is counting us out. I like our odds.

I'm so happy to enjoy 3 rounds of amazing playoff hockey and the boys are still in it. Great matchup for a fan of Oilers run & gun hockey!
All the Oilers who're having spectacular playoff-leading performances so far makes it that much sweeter.

I ❤ this team