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PLAYOFF DRAMA

For the first time in the 2017 NHL Playoffs (which the Oilers are in for the 1st time in 11 years btw) we find ourselves trailing in the second round (meaning we got past the 1st) and people be TRIPPIN! Since when does an NHL record for collapse mean we panic around these parts?

Now it’s the first time the Oil have trailed in the series and only the second time trailing in the playoffs so far. But to the boo birds in the tree it’s the end of days, the referees should be drawn and quartered, the world is stacked against us and everything is over.

Sounds to me like Oilers fans enjoying the highs and lows of the very first playoffs of Connor McDavid’s illustrious career. Is blowing a 3-0 lead with 4 minutes to go with the series tied an R-rated horror show? No question. Is it less terrifying than listening to MacT at the end of yet another failed regular season acknowledge the Oilers are already screwed next year? You be the judge.

Did letting that rat bastard Corey Perry score in the 2nd OT period let the air out of an already pretty deflated balloon? Maybe. But how were you feeling the first OT period as the Oil swarmed the Ducks with wave after wave of offense? I even found myself cheering on Pouliot because he was so dialled in.

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Benoit Pouliot.

A man so unpopular in Edmonton that Apple released a poop emoji to save us all time tweeting how much he sucks. Pouliot is roaring. Let that settle in.

TERMINATORS IN DEVELOPMENT

Remember in that one Terminator sequel when they are in some bunker building and they walk past the T-1 model? And you think to yourself “That ain’t Arnold. That Terminator can’t say ‘I’ll be back.’ That just looks like a giant Segway with some Gatling guns welded on.”

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But secretly know in the back of your mind that that is an early model of a Terminator. You know what it turns into eventually and recall how that Terminator Cop went right through the hole in the windshield. You know what’s coming when you see that T-1. Even if it ain’t there yet, it is a dangerous, dangerous thing to be developing.

The Oilers are the early T-1 terminator. They aren’t fully formed – they are missing some pieces and upgrades and hardware to be sure. But the danger is already there. Danger to the league. Danger to other teams. Danger to themselves. Danger.

They can go up 2-0 on the Ducks on the road. Danger. They can also come unglued and drop the next 3 in a row. Danger.  That’s what the early terminators were all about. They were as much a threat to themselves as to the humans but you knew they were on the right track.  Or the wrong track – depending if you were cheering for humanity’s survival.

The Oilers are on the right track. Honestly conclude we are screwed with McDavid roaring around wearing the C at the age of 20. He just had his first multi point game of the playoffs and has 9 points in 11 games and some people are all “PSH THAT’S NOTHING.” Please.

Tell me we are screwed when Adam Larsson just played like 47 minutes cause Sekera went down. That’s more than Pronger minutes (spits) What a workhorse. Tell me we are screwed with Drai and Talbot dominating most nights and the Little Nuge doing his best to will playoff beard hairs onto his face every night before bed.

Please. I’d take this lineup over every other team in the league.

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LET US REMEMBER

Are we forgetting the Oilers just took a 3-2 deficit against the absolute KINGS of blowing 3-2 series leads? You know why Getzlaf ran the Messier haircut from a young age? Cause all his hair fell out stressing about blowing all them 3-2 series leads over the years. Its true – google it.

As the immortal Jack Michaels took time to note on twitter “Anaheim’s season has ended in each of the last 4 years the exact same way: a Game 6 loss on the road, followed by a Game 7 defeat at home.”

The Oilers have a pattern of how their seasons have ended too. They realistically end in November, they mail it in until April and then we all sit around and wait for Lowetide to get us mildly jazzed about a Czech player we absolutely must steal in the 5th round of the draft. Seems to me we are having a much different time now no matter how this all ends.

So have a beer and a smile and try and tell me the order of the 2017 Entry Draft. Tell me the last time you watched an Oilers playoff game in shorts with no snow on the ground. Exactly.

HOPE WILL NEVER DIE

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I say bring on G6 and whatever the Ducks can throw at us. Bring the roar of a gillion Orange Oilers fans who will cheer as though everything is on the line cause it is. Bring on Rob Clark letting us sing the anthem at the top of our lungs and any audio video mishaps that may come.

Your ol’ pal Wanye here will put a guarantee on the board that I am the drunkest man in the building by puck drop and will probably be taken out in zip tie handcuffs the minute the Oilers do something awesome. But as the members of the EPS lead me out of the building in the prone position I will be smiling.

Smiling because I know the Oilers are getting their shit together and gaining every type of playoff experience in their first year in the post season.

And like someone who has seen a T-1000 live – I know what is coming.


  • tileguy

    Happy happy, except for the fact that each egregious call (except the OT icing in game 4) are reviewable and in my opinion the nhl/referees got it wrong. Not just home town bias lil ol me saying it,but respected hockey analyst ie sportsnet panel, tsn, retired players and referees. It takes the bloom of the playoffs. I can live with the emotions of chocking, slashing, interference calls/non calls, but video reviews? Bah humbug!

      • NHL Hockey Operations staff and Referee

        In accordance with Note 2 of Rule 78.7, Kesler was allowed to grab and hold Talbot because Nurse pushed him into the goalkeeper. That`s why the call on the ice stood.

        • oilersfan497

          Rule 69.1 states that “If an attacking player has been pushed, shoved, or fouled by a defending player so as to cause him to come into contact with the goalkeeper, such contact will not be deemed contact initiated by the attacking player for purposes of this rule, provided the attacking player has made a reasonable effort to avoid such contact”.

          Kesler made no effort to avoid the contact that resulted in the goal. In fact Nurse’s contact was more than three seconds before the goal happened. How long do you think someone should be allowed to interfere with the goalie for and still claim it wasn’t their fault? Kesler was at it for about three seconds. That’s way too long for anyone to claim it wasn’t his fault. Even if it wasn’t very long, the contact Kesler made was inherently illegal. That is not incidental contact. It’s strategy. How can the goalie make a save if I hold his pad? Again, if Kesler didn’t make effort to avoid the contact, there’s no way it should have been deemed legal. There’s no way you can make an argument that he tried to avoid contact, so there’s no way you can argue it’s a good goal.

        • ricardo2000

          Just because you are pushed into another player does NOT give permission to commit any further infractions. It is clear that Kesler HOOKED Talbot with his hands and stick. That was entirely intentional.

  • Ryan68

    Ahh…sweet perspective. The Oilers are going to be one of the best teams in the league for years to come. All the major pieces are in place. With a little fine tuning, this team will be unstoppable. We have the best player in the world at 20 y/o!!! We have a near great goalie. The best 1-2 punch in the game and a defensive corps that is only going to get better. Making it to the second round our first time back in the playoffs is remarkable. Enjoy it. Enjoy it for the next decade.

  • That's My Point

    Knew the FIX was in when the penalty shot was awarded. Worse plays than that aren’t even called penalties some games let alone a penalty shot. Every game the refs find a new way to shaft the Oilers. Like to see an Oiler grab onto Gibson’s pad next game and see if it’s not a penalty. BRUTAL. SHAME SHAME NHL!!!

    • Gordie Wayne

      Lucic should have ran Getzlaf through the boards and the glass leaving old Getz a pile of broken bones in a bag of skin (he should have know full well the refs were going to award a penalty shot).

      Sorry…still angry over last night’s reffing debacle.

    • Sustenna

      Yes, “the fix”. Indeed, the NHL, no wait, the world, no wait, the entire universe is conspiring against the Oilers. They have daily meetings about it. There are documents to prove it. It is a grand conspiracy. The NHL has tied the Oilers success to oil prices and the alignment of the stars…………..Now i’m off to get more tin foil for my hat.

  • SRELIOFAN

    This is the article that we all need right now. I don’t want to think about the refs or the blown lead or the game last night at all. Lets look ahead to tomorrow and cheer our hearts out. If it comes to an end tomorrow we can look back on this run as the beginning of something amazing.

    But I have a feeling Connor is right as usual and we are going to be back in Anaheim on Wednesday. GO OILERS

    • MrBung

      Basically hope for the future. Acknowledging that this series is pretty much lost. Given that the Oil have dropped 3 straight and the Ducks are finding all kinds of ways to win, even if they are not legit, … I would agree. The Oil have to use this to come back next year and do some damage and at least make it to the conference finals.

  • MLega97

    Reading this made me feel a whole lot better today. So many emotions, such devastation last night. I believe we will win tomorrow, then it’s anyone’s game on Wednesday. Go Oilers! ???

  • Homer

    Great article to put some perspective on things but this BS officiating makes one extremely sour on the product the NHL puts on the ice. Shouldn’t they be showcasing the league in the playoffs to get more viewers?!? Deplorable is all I can say makes me not want to even be a tier 3 fan

  • oilredemption

    Honestly put a fork in the oilers they are done. I am the biggest fan but they have no answer for getzlaf. Not to mention lucic is completely out of gas and making bone head plays. Poo is far superior to him in the playoffs and it’s not even close and that’s not a good thing. We are out of gas fellas. It’s been an amazing run and our future looks so bright and I am going to cheer and cheer until someone says to go home but unless we find another level against the ducks we are screwed.

    • MrBung

      To have a chance at winning this series the Oilers absolutely had to win this last game. No way I see the Oil winning two straight against this Ducks team and the circumstances the Oil are dealing with around officiating.

  • GK1980

    Regardless of the outcome of this series we all need to feel pretty good about the future of this Awsome team. The city has been truly remarkable and in my opinion the oil are a better team than Anaheim.

    Good times ahead everyone. Proud of these guys!

  • MontanaMan

    The Oilers have over achieved this season and could have (or may still) win the series against the Ducks. Most of the playoff games this year have been close and the hockey has been great. The reaction of the Oilers fans and some of the team has been embarrassing.

    • McDavid's Comet

      Like Calgary did when they whined to the league about unfair penalties through out the season in correlation to the Wideman-Ref incident. That’s embarrassing!

      • MontanaMan

        Thought we were talking about the Oilers / Anaheim series. As I mentioned, I think the Oilers have played well, and the Ducks aren’t doing anything different than they have since signing Getzlaff and Perry. It sounds a bit like the Canuck fans whining about being manhandled by the Bruins. Like I said, embarrassing.

        • Connor'sGotHart

          Coming from a flamer who did nothing but whine the whole year about any penalty that was called against Calgary. Wideman will not be there this next year so what will your new excuse be?

  • Lamar's Javelin

    I don’t like that Ana is getting the calls. I don’t like that the reffing crew had bias and stuck pig-headedly to that bias in a 20 second video review and did not consider looking at the entire circumstance with Kessler. I truly don’t like that the refs are literally looking at a F***$^# IPAD to review plays that will determine teams’ seasons.
    BUT, what I truly have to say is that I do admire the work ethic and DO BLOODY WELL ANYTHING to win attitude that Anaheim has shown the Oilers, that they bloody well will hook, slash, crash, throw anything at Talbot, load the crease, and literally do whatever they can do distract, deflect, steer any and all plays as best they can. That work ethic is the one thing that we’d admire if our team was as dedicated. And that is what the Oilers will take from this series – be it to apply it to next year or to apply it to the next round(s).

    • Archer

      agree with this comment 100% – hate the way the ducks play and the way the league lets them play and has screwed the Oilers, but the Ducks will do absolutely anything to win, within or outside the rules, and the Oilers need to adopt that attitude NOW. If they do then they still have a fighting chance

  • Anton CP

    The Oilers overachieving and the Oilers getting unfair treatment are two different things, but I guess this is a learning curve and a first playoffs for most of the players on the roster. Veteran teams are better because they know how to gain an edge on certain situations especially referees. Watching this series that one of the most common thing you’ve heard during the broadcast is “…the Ducks are chirping at the referees…”, sometimes that is what do you need to get into referee’s head.

    I don’t like the idea of professional referees because that they are bad for sports leagues. Why professional referees are bad for the sports? They are too close to each players on personal level because that they are seeing each others all the time and for many years. Sometimes it is the situation of “I’ve watched this guy playing for many years and he always played the same way (being dirty or not) and against someone that I barely know” and how the call do you think will go?

  • SedinsForever500

    Alberta teams will never be able to win a series against the Ducks. Face it. Alberta is one sad, sad province. Might as well move to Victoria, and Kelowna, and maybe the Lames and Choklers will have better luck?!?

    • Retired Secret Agent

      Dude, the thing the mods on this site say is “pretend your mom is reading over your shoulder”. If she did, she would be crushed to realize she had raised such an ignorant, puerile, infantile and small minded individual. Grow up and get a life outside your Mom’s basement!!!

      • SedinsForever500

        Just looked up “Alberta”, “Edmonton”, and “Calgary” in the dictionary. Funny I couldn’t find “good hockey” anywhere in their definitions?!?

        • m3sh

          Laughable. Nuck cups? I’ll wait… Nuck “fan” riots as they choke in game 7? Where’s that fanbase now as you stare down the barrel of who knows how many years out of the post-season. I relish your pain (cuz I know it well).

          How’s that 5th overall in the draft?

          (i know, i know… don’t feed the troll…)

          • SedinsForever500

            And I seem to remember McDavid and Talbot helping Team Canada to win the 2017 IIHF WHC in Paris?? Hmmm… Oh yeah! That’s right! It all happened after the Choklers’ ship hit the iceberg known as Ryan Getzlaf + Ryan Kesler + Corey Perry, and sank in a whopping three minutes!! Talk about speed!

        • Tikk Talk

          Dude, I’m also from BC, shut the hell up, you are an embarrassment and a troll. You are attacking a great Western Canadian province, supposedly because you have a crush on the Sedins?… Grow up fool.

      • SedinsForever500

        You seem to be forgetting about that mess on Whyte Avenue in 2006! That’s what happens when you gather a bunch of blue-collared, classless Chokler fans that can’t drink, and put ’em together!

    • McDavid's Comet

      Better luck? Like Cansucks luck in the draft? I’m sure you will enjoy being the Oilers and Flames B*t*ches’ for the next 12 yrs. LMAO!

      Norman Bates mom agreed with him too, good luck with that JackA$$.

    • KBiZZy

      You trolls are awesome. Since the last time the Oilers made the playoffs, how many rings did the Sedin sisters win? The exact same amount as the Oilers – We are in the playoffs, Have Captain Conor and a little known fan by the Name of Gretzky attending our games.

  • CRONENBERG

    Optimism is great and all, but this series should be over. After a decade of darkness we should be sipping beers tonight talking about who we’re going to face next St Louis or Nashville. And YES, I understand that’s still certainly a possibility, but no sane person can not be bitter. The worst part is all the trolls on facebook saying Oilers blew a 3 goal lead. No we didn’t. We gave up two goals and then got screwed on the third. How the hell can some one not understand the difference between a 3-2 game and a 3-3 game with 15 second left in the third period??? If the league did a proper job on the review we’d be laughing about the 2 late goals by the ducks right now. We should be moving on to the Western Finals!!! Not sitting here going “oh well, at least we’re in the playoffs 🙂 🙂 :)” What is the point of having a video review if they’re not going to get the call right? That’s two freakin games in a row!!!

  • Clayton

    All of this is playing right into Randy Carlyle’s plans. He has the oilers and fans completely distracted from what they need to focus on. They are crying about not getting fair calls, the missed slashes, the missed goalie interference calls and on and on rather than what they need to do…focus on their D-Zone strategies, win face offs, get shots from in close, get in gibson’s grill and so on. But keep complaining. Has done you well for the last three games.

  • Dwayne Roloson 35

    That loss was extremely disappointing and It definitely felt like the sky was falling last night. Things have settled though. We just need to win 1 game and then anything can happen in game 7. HWND

    Any word on Sekera?

  • SedinsForever500

    This just in folks: McDavid, and Talbot book their tickets to Paris. I’m thinking Marner – McDavid – Simmonds?? Talbot in goal? That’ll be sick. Thanks to the Choklers we’ll have another gold medal to celebrate!

  • Mr. McDavid

    8 14 pm sat night.
    Please tell me im not the only one
    Who heard Mr. Connor McDavid
    Post game interview on 630 ched
    “We will be back here Wednesday”

    Mic dropped
    Has anyone else heard the
    McGarentee

  • madjam

    Nickel and Dime officiating has always been prevalent in NHL playoffs for over 30 years Why? Because they want playoffs to be a bit of a war with distinct protagonists that fuel the emotions of the fans . That is why normal dirt clubs hold such an advantage come playoff time . One less dirty club gets away with 5 infractions while a superior dirty club usually gets away with 10 . That way both clubs generally end up with same amount of penalties over course of series . A lot like the old wrestling mentality/contravery of officiating in playoffs at least . If we were the dirtiest club throughout regular season you would see us get the same advantage Anaheim has gotten now in this series , as well as Flame series to a lesser extent . Some of Anaheim’s players must be laughing to themselves what they can do to opposition , and not draw penalties against themselves when regular season so many of their infractions were penalties and they got called for them . Protagonists are loved by officials in playoffs and treated royally to a big extent moreso than star players to a big extent .

  • Lames fan

    I have been watching this series.
    Games, Interviews etc.
    I have been a life long flames fan and today I purchased my first Oilers jersey.
    Starting to really love this team.so much character and skill.
    A few more games and I don’t know if I will ever go back.
    Go Oil Go!

  • connor is god

    win or lose i am proud of these guys,never thought we would be in this position at the beginning of the season!they have gained some experience,showed us the core will be great for years to come.I have faith chirelli will do the tinkering in the off season to finish the job and make us even better.all that being said i hope they pound the ducks tonight and a couple off weird puck bounces takes out a ref or linesman!!!!!