The success of the Stanley Cup playoffs is never guaranteed. We have witnessed the loss of elite teams in the first round on numerous occasions. Winning the Stanley Cup is extremely difficult, but even winning two rounds is a challenge.
The Edmonton Oilers got their ticket to the Western Conference Finals, for the first time since 2006, with an exciting 5-4 win in overtime in Calgary last night. And of course, his two superstars combined in the winning goal as Leon Draisaitl set up Connor McDavid for his first goal of the postseason overtime.
Oilers fans couldn’t have written it better. Oilers fans, 40 and under, had never experienced the thrills of a Battle of Alberta playoff. The energy and anxiety of the second round was much higher than that of the first against the Kings. It’s different when your favorite team faces its biggest and closest (at a distance) rival. You probably know more Flames fans than Kings, and whistles and back-and-forth jokes are common.
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Oilers fans will remember this series for a long time. For young fans, it’s a series where they become real die-hard fans. My son is eight years old. The moment he got out of bed this morning he ran to see the highlights. I was so much more than excited. When we got to his school, the chat between his friends and teachers was pure excitement for the game. I didn’t see it after defeating the Kings.
Series like this only improve your loyalty as they do.
I had wanted to witness a BOA for years. I had a lot of Oilers fans, who had never experienced one before, who told me they didn’t want to play in Calgary because they were afraid of having to deal with the Flames fans if they lost. I replied, but what if the Oilers win? I’m sure it would be shit for Oilersnation if they had lost the series, but they didn’t, and for many fans this is probably the victory of the favorite series of their lives.
And it’s only the second round.
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The Oilers are not over.
“It’s a great feeling,” Draisaitl said. “I’m sure the people at home are very excited. But we are only halfway there. We are very excited, very happy with what we have achieved so far, but we still have more. That is our ultimate goal. We celebrate it for a day, tonight maybe, be proud of it, happy. But we are preparing for the next round. “
Players will have to refocus and regroup, but fans will be able to enjoy it all weekend. Did you wake up happier? Was there more energy in your workplace? I guess so because winning the playoffs captures the heart, imagination and fans. Strong fans live for it, and no fan base in the 2000s has had more disappointment than Oilers fans. Well, at least in the regular season. Maple Leafs fans are the owners of the title of the bad heart of the last playoffs.
This victory was not only great for the fans, it was huge for the organization and very satisfying for its captain.
“It was good. It’s hard to put into words what that meant to me,” McDavid said of his OT winner. “The guys did a great job staying up all night. It was definitely not our best effort, but we stayed there and had great performances from a lot of different guys. Yeah, I’m glad to contribute on a night when I may not have had the best of myself. “
Happy to contribute. Classic. I would say he has done more than his share of contribution.
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McDavid has been on the ice for 38 goals during the 261:41 playoffs of TOI.STL has 38 in 671 min.NYR has 37 in 773 min.TB has 36 in 678 minCGY has 35 in 735 min.CAR in has 33 in 723 min.FLO scored 23 in 607 minCOL only team with more, 40 goals, in 560 min.
– Jason Gregor (@JasonGregor) May 27, 2022
I had to double and triple check my stats before posting this last night. It illustrates how dominant he has been for two rounds. Even one night, when he felt he didn’t have the best he could, he played an important role. His goal was the 26th Stanley Cup playoff winner in franchise history.
Glenn Anderson has three. Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri, Esa Tikkanen, Petr Klima and Joe Murphy each have two. Randy Gregg, Lee Fogolin, Mark Lamb, Craig MacTavish, Kelly Buchberger, Ryan Smyth, Todd Marchant, Mike Comrie, Jarret Stoll, Shawn Horcoff, Fernando Pisani, David Desharnais and McDavid all have one.
Only 19 skaters have scored an OT winner for Edmonton and McDavid joins the roster. His goal also ended in a streak of six straight defeats for McDavid and the Oilers.
With their two straight wins, the Oilers have wiped out the recent disappointment. The core has learned from losses to Winnipeg and Chicago. Most teams experience disappointments after the season, before finding success.
The Oilers ’ability to overcome adversity has been shown since they lost to OT against the Kings in the fifth game. The Oilers dominated games six and seven.
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Although they lost the first game against Calgary, they did not give up when they only started 28 minutes into the game 6-2. They managed to tie the game at six, before finally losing 9-6. They were neglected throughout the match, but they showed that they would not just give up. This mentality helped them win the second and fifth games. Both times, the Oilers fell 2-0 on the road, but managed to stay in the game and eventually won. They weren’t terrified by the fourth game when Rasmus Andersson scored with a 132-foot shot. Instead, they played harder and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored the biggest goal of his NHL career at the end of the third.
MORE THAN MCDAVID …
May 24, 2022; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; The Edmonton Oilers celebrate a goal from striker Zach Hyman (18) against the Calgary Flames during the first period of the fourth game of the second round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
It’s hard not to be mesmerized by McDavid. He deserves all the praise he has received for his play, but the idea that the Flames lost just because of him is a huge disrespect to his teammates.
Draisaitl has a strength in the series scoring 17 points. He tied Rick Middleton with the most points in the first five games of a series. Middleton finished with 19 points in a seven-game win over the Buffalo Sabers in 1983. Draisaitl looked destined to break that record if the Oilers lost, but I’m sure he’d rather have the extra break.
Draisaitl set a Stanley Cup record for most assists in a period (4) in the third game. In the fourth game he became the first player to have four consecutive games with three or more points. He then broke it with four points in the fifth game. Add three points in five games in a row against the same team. A team that was third in the NHL in GA / game at 2.51 is very impressive, and getting it while breastfeeding an ankle injury only adds to the folklore that is Draisaitl.
Evander Kane scored five goals in the series, but in the fifth game, Jay Woodcroft replaced Kane and Zach Hyman because he wanted Kane to face Elias Lindholm’s line. It’s not uncommon for the player who leads your team with the postseason goals to take on this challenge. Kane did it and it worked. Hyman also added some jumps to the top line, so the move benefited two lines. But Woodcroft also flooded Kailer Yamamoto and Jesse Puljujarvi, causing Puljujarvi to take first in the series.
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Hyman scored one goal in each game and finished sixth in the series. His relentless effort was contagious to the whole group.
The Oilers’ six defenses played very well. After allowing nine goals in the first game, Edmonton only allowed 11 in the last four games. The defense and Mike Smith stayed high when needed.
It was a crazy series. Calgary set a record in the game when he scored two goals in the first 51 seconds. And in the fifth game the two teams combined to score four goals (two each) in just 71 seconds. Another NHL record. So there were four NHL records, and Draisaitl also broke Wayne Gretzky’s Battle of Alberta record with the most points in a series. Gretzky made 14. Draisaitl made 17.
We saw four-, three- and two-goal advantages evaporate in four of the five games. There were many outstanding roller goals, the odd 132 feet and some huge hits. It was a very entertaining series, and Edmonton fans will not soon forget.
Enjoy the weekend. Get some rest. And enjoy a trip back to the third round. Never take it for granted because it’s hard to win even two rounds.
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Florida has not been in the third round since 1996. Columbus entered the NHL in 2001. They have never been in the third round. Toronto hasn’t been in the third round since 2002. Colorado isn’t either, but they’re a win. Minnesota hasn’t been since 2003. Calgary’s last third-round appearance was in 2004. The last Buffalo Conference final was in 2007. Detroit hasn’t been back since 2009. Philadelphia hasn’t been in the third round since 2010. Vancouver last appeared. in the third round in 2011. New Jersey has not appeared since 2012. The same with Arizona. The Rangers need two wins to get there for the first time since 2014. LA has not returned since winning the Cup in 2014. Chicago has not returned. I haven’t been there since 2015. Pittsburgh, Ottawa, Nashville and Anaheim haven’t arrived since 2017. Winnipeg did in 2018, as did Washington on its way to winning the Cup. Boston, San Jose and St. Louis (they need two wins to get there) last did it in 2019. So did Carolina, but they are one win away from coming back. Dallas arrived in the top three in 2020. Montreal, Las Vegas and the New York Islanders reached 2021. Seattle did not reach its first season, and could be a few years away. Tampa will enter for the third straight season, and now the Oilers.
Enjoy the next round. Who knows when you will return.
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