OT - Western Conference Finals - Avalanche v Oilers
When you have 3 of the top 5 forwards in the world to go along with the best offensive defenseman and two teams that aren’t particularly good defensively, look out.
I’m rooting for Edmonton, but I just can’t see them keeping up with Colorado even if McDavid and Draisaitl continue playing out of their minds. Edmonton’s defense is so bad - not just defensively but as puck movers. They don’t have anyone near the level of Makar.
Edmonton’s defense is so bad - not just defensively but as puck movers.
And Smith is even worse. Watch how deep he plays in the net and the Avs went glove side all night long -- even when blocker side may have been a logical choice otherwise.
So he doesn't cut down the angle and cannot catch the puck. It's a miracle the Oilers made it this far.
I’ve never been a fan of Smith and he’s already had a few typical wtf moments, but he’s been surprisingly solid for them so far this postseason.
Not his best game tonight, but just look at two of Colorado’s 2-on-1 goals tonight. The main thing you want to do as a defenseman is take the pass away and let your goalie focus on the shooter. On both of those goals the defenseman lets the pass through for an easy goal. It’s tough to pin those on the goalie. As is a MacKinnon breakaway. The sheer amount of odd man chances and breakaways alone speaks to some of their deficiencies.
But Edmonton’s inability to the move the puck from their blueline is just so glaring. Granted, we were spoiled in Detroit watching Lidstrom, but watching them really makes it much easier to appreciate how well he moved the puck, both under pressure in the dzone and with stretch passes. I don’t get me wrong, I’m not sure expecting a Lidstrom. It’s just that they don’t even have anything close to a #1 defenseman. Whoever their “best” defenseman is right now (Nurse gets the minutes I guess), would at best be Detroit’s #4 on the 2008 Cup winning team. Simply put, it’s a very poor unit.
Cogliano and Hyman with goals as well.
When I first got into hockey it was in the midst of that great Red Wings/Avalanche rivalry run. However I live in Northwest Ohio and have some rebel in me. EVERYBODY around me is a Red Wings fan so... GO AVS!!
It's easier to accept this knowing that Roy isn't in net for them. And man, they play some good looking hockey.
It's also easier knowing the Wings essentially shuffled Roy out the door -- the Statue of Liberty gaffe essentially foreshadowed Roy's retirement a couple of years later...
... although Michele wasn't probably too happy about it.
Didn’t the Wings lead to Roy leaving the Canadiens as well? I think they lit him up one night and Montreal’s coach didn’t pull him, so after the game Roy said he was done. I think he was traded to Quebec/Colorado shortly thereafter.
Man, I miss those Red WIngs. That McCarty fight was great and something you'll never see in today's game. It just kept going and the refs had no interest in stopping it. Pretty good strategy to lose your jersey and pads, so there's nothing for him to grab.
I'm 62 and can remember going to Wings games at the Olympia so my hockey fandom goes WAY back to the famed "Production Line" of Howe, Delvecchio & Mahovlich and my favorite golie of all time is Roger Crozier.
And through those years there was almost no team I enjoyed watching more than the Gretsky-let Ediminton Oilers of the 80's. Damn they were fun to watch and because we had the "dead-wings" I had to find some other team to cheer for.
And there was almost not team I hated more than the the 90's Avalanche given what they did to the Wings of that era.
So yeah, my rooting interests in this series are pretty straightforward. Go Oilers!
The production line was Howe, Lindsay, and Abel -- or Delvecchio depending on time frame.
But this famous picture was Howe, Lindsay, and Abel:
"Gordie" and "Lindsay" are also my Irish setters.
7-6, 7:30 to go in the 3rd period. Gretzky bitching about teams not playing defense at the intermission. (He's not wrong, but this is a lot better than watching the teams of the 80s).
Multiple Grade A chances at both ends of the ice.
Use onhockey.tv to stream the Canadian broadcast. Much easier on the ears than the US coverage.
Wait. Wayne Gretzky was bitching about no defense? LMAO!!!
Hello, Pot...
That was offsides.
Worst replay call in the history of replays. Even worse than the OT ruling against Calgary just a couple of days ago.
Yeah, I’m not a fan of that call at all, even after the explanation they gave. Makar was clearly attacking the zone with control. Just because the puck wasn’t on his stick for that split second doesn’t mean he didn’t have possession. The puck is constantly off a player’s stick when they’re stickhandling or carrying the puck. Logically it just seems to go against the nature of the rule.
No offense, but I know a worse replay call
The Megatron game wasn't in the playoffs with a chance to move on to win it all.
No defense but I don’t have a problem with that!
that offsides call was horrendous. the lack of defense in this game was unreal.
I thought the Aves (fuck the aves) would be too much for the Fighting Connor McDavids, but cutting the lead to 1 in the 3rd???? damn.... Edmonton feels pretty good about that game on the road. Smith won't be as terrible again this series, if he gets an ounce of help from his D.
glaring lack of fundamentals on the the d end of the bench. i'm going to be the team that comes out of the east is going to shut things down big time and easily win the cup. Lets go Rangers....
Nope. Not gonna hope the Rangers ever win a thing. I'll take the team that Stevie built, if the team he's building now isn't ready...
unless Stevie hires Barry Trotz..... I'm never going to understand how the fuck he let Spuddy get hired by the Rangers while Blashill was still on the bench. Spuddy takes another team to the Conference Finals.
Some dynamite offensive skill on display in this series, but I'd much rather watch Rangers-Lightning. "All gas, no brakes" gets boring after awhile.
Agreed. The game showcased the speed and skill of both teams, but I prefer playoff hockey to the all-star game.
Going to be very curious to see how the winner of the Avs-Oilers series handles going against the Rangers or the Lightning. Especially if its the Lightning. I don't know much about hockey compared to some of the folks on this board, but I feel like I know enough to know that a great goaltender can win a series for you largely on his own. Especially if you have arguably the greatest goaltender on the planet in Andrei Vasilevskiy.
That guy has found a way to hit another gear in the playoffs the last few years. He never loses back to back playoff games, and has given series-clinching shutout games in all but one of I think every playoff series Tampa has been in for the last three seasons.
Couple that with their playoff experience. The Lightning have that experience of consistently winning these kinds of games that you just can't teach or take on until you actually do it for yourself.
Avalanche would have a great chance of winning that series regardless, but it would be really hard to bet against the team with the better goaltender. When it comes playoff time and I have my pick, give me the elite goaltender any day.
Vasilevskiy has his ups and downs like any goalie, but when he is on, he can dominate games. And he seems to play his best in the biggest games. That's why one of my fantasy team names is "The Vas Difference."
As the parent of a goalie, I am looking forward to the Vasilevskiy / Shesterkin matchup in goal tonight.
As the parent of a goalie
You have both my admiration and my condolences.
She has picked up the position very quickly and is a hard worker. After only being dedicated to goalie for about 1.5 years, she is keeping up in boys travel with goalies that have played 4-5 years.
It is certainly the most expensive position in an expensive sport, but she absolutely loves it.
Bless you both. My son plays in a birth year where goalies are almost non-existent. And we're not even to the high-school years yet. I've seen teams fold for a lack of netminder.